 Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States. Thank you very much. Welcome to the White House. You know, I always get self-conscious when I say that, but I understand that officially this is part of the White House. I don't just run through the rooms over here on my way to bed or anything. I know that you're going to be briefed by top members of my staff who oversee domestic and foreign policy. It's always a pleasure to host groups like yours of concerned individuals to discuss the issues that will shape our future. And I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for what you're doing to make this a better world. A top priority of our administration has been to encourage our own citizens to get directly involved in helping others and in community building endeavors. Surely benevolence and charity are too important to be relegated to the exclusive realm of government. There's been much talk about the new spirit of patriotism alive in the United States. Part of this new spirit can be seen in the increased personal involvement of humanitarian service. Between 1980 and 1984, total giving in this country rose by 51 percent to a record level of $74 billion. And by the way, that number is greater than the gross national product of more than half the nations of the world. Many who did not have money contributed their time and talent. Voluntarism is a cherished and inseparable part of America. Nowhere has that been more apparent than in the Jewish community. Words often tell much about those who use them. It's no coincidence that in Hebrew, mitzvah not only means good deed, but also commandment. And the word for righteousness, zedakah, is also the word for charity. I know I have a little courage in... America's Judeo-Christian heritage is the foundation on which everything else is built. Earlier today there was a ceremony a short distance from here. It marked the culmination of a private sector initiative. A project supported voluntarily by thousands and thousands of contributors. And I think we can all be proud that people of good will are working together to build a memorial in this nation's capital of the most dreadful of human tragedies, the Holocaust. This memorial has been a noble undertaking, and I congratulate all who have played a role in making it happen. It's a project in the finest traditions of this country. We don't have a perfect record, but we can be proud that our forefathers strive for and build a nation dedicated to individual freedom, democratic government, and those humane values about which we've been speaking today. We can also be proud that in these last four decades we have taken it upon ourselves to rid our country of the scourge of discrimination that had long been a blot on our nation, a blot that was so inconsistent with the noble goals of a great country. It's significant that Jewish Americans were in the forefront of that movement. Today the specter of anti-Semitism has again reared its ugly head in America. People of good will cannot be complacent about this turn of events. Anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry and malevolence can do great harm if not quickly exposed and isolated. Hate and prejudice have no place in American society and those who spread it deserve our unambiguous repudiation. In a free country like the United States, the strengthened integrity of our citizens will determine what kind of a country we have. God has also placed in our hands influence that extends far beyond our borders. Thomas Jefferson once said the world should know that we Americans are just friends and brave enemies. Those words were never more true than today. During the last decade when American military might was permitted to erode many began to believe that the United States no longer had the will to lead the free world. The refrain was heard that our best days were behind us. America's friends and allies questioned our reliability. Well that situation has been turned around. In recent years our military forces have been rebuilt and are standing firm in our responsibilities. I think you should know that right now our military all volunteer has reached a point that we've never reached before in our history even in our times of the draft during wartime. 91% of our military young men and women today are high school graduates. There's never been such a percentage before in our history. And I'm so proud of the young men and women in uniform that I just can't express it. America will not be deterred from our commitment to other free peoples by economic blackmail, the heavily armed military forces of totalitarian regimes or the cowardly acts of terrorists. Today we've erased the uncertainty of the past decade and have re-established that we are an ally who can be counted on. But no adversary doubt we have the courage to stand by our democratic friends and that is especially true when it comes to the State of Israel. Israel more than any other democratic nation has endured terrorist attacks. But terrorism is not just Israel's problem. We view every terrorist attack, whoever the victim, as a crime against all civilization. Those who murder in the name of political cause admit their dastardly deeds with impunity. Last week I think we made that clear. I look forward someday to meeting the young command pilot whichever one he was in those planes that said when there was some hesitation you will follow us or else. Good and decent people must stand together to build a more secure world, a freer world, and a more prosperous world. We must at the same time have the courage of our convictions and stand united for those values that we hold dear and against oppression and terrorism. I want to thank all of you for coming here today but most of all to thank you for what you are doing and have done to help others. As it says in the Talmud, to help a fellow man may be to tip the scales for the entire world. God bless all of you. Thank you. Mr. President, on behalf of this group and your illustrious representatives of your administration, I am proud as a Jew as an American to recognize you as our president. I am proud and delighted for the marvelous work you have done on behalf of Cleveland throughout the world as my fellow co-religionists around the world to say, sure not.