ahead of today's Holocaust Remembrance Day Governor Murphy signed a bill aimed at improving the way the Holocaust and genocide are taught in New Jersey schools at a time when anti-semitic incidents are on the rise across the state people from around the world today gathered in Krakow Poland for the annual March of the living recalling the victims and survivors of the Holocaust among them an international group of law enforcement officials including from New Jersey the trip was organized by the Rutgers Miller Center on policing and Community resilience its Chief policy advisor Paul Goldenberg joins me now from Poland as part of our ongoing series exploring hate focusing on anti-Semitism racism and extremism Paul it's good to have you join us from Poland what do you see as the Miller Center and law enforcement's role in participating in a significant walk like this this is uh this is a walk that's been going on for over three decades Brianna and um during those three you know three decades normally it is uh college students high school students uh community members this is really the first time that the organized policing Community the transnational police Community participated we had 15 16 police Commissioners from Hungary Croatia from Canada we had the chief of staff to the Metropolitan Police Department we had Chiefs from Toronto I'm sorry from Canada and uh as it relates to New Jersey or our Colonel of the New Jersey State Police Pat Callahan and his Lieutenant Colonel attended as well it had a tremendous impact on the crowd because here we are in Poland Krakow and actually the Auschwitz thousands and thou thousands of miles away from New Jersey and as we marched alongside the others we could hear from the sidelines the New Jersey State Police is here the colonel is here um why why are the police marching that's great it was really a very very positive uh positive impact what do you hope to get from being a part of this why was it important to make that presence known Brianna unfortunately in the 1930s 1940s some police were on the wrong side of history there were some police that chose for a lot of reasons to unfortunately uh to uh Service uh tyrannical governments and uh there were police that were directly involved in Acts of uh of genocide and and also supporting the Holocaust um we have come a long way uh unfortunately the last 36 42 months police in the United States Across the Nation even in North America and Canada have had some very very serious um challenges with building Community Trust and uh it was a an absolute distinct message to send that the police Executives that attended today were there to support not only the Jewish Community the fight against anti-Semitism uh the fight against a hatred and bigotry and that we are very much a part of the solution well let me ask you about that because of course anxieties are high here in New Jersey especially amid a rise of anti-Semitic incidents how does that play into your participation look the police saw the First Responders um uh when the police are properly trained uh when the police properly investigate there is a distinct message sent to those that seek to cause harm against not only the Jewish Community but but any vulnerable Community um so having the senior officers the senior police Executives here today to not only stand with uh with with Holocaust Survivors and with those that uh that uh are are Marching against uh genocide and uh and hatred and bigotry to be a part of that is extremely if it is extremely critical today if not more important than any other time in policing history so the training of police officers and Holocaust Education uh it's not just about remembrance it's it's how what lessons can be learned from one of the single most atrocious heinous acts of hate on Earth what can we the police learn from this um and I think that message was clearly uh clearly resonated today amongst the 10 000 people the feedback was absolutely extraordinary I mean many of us will never get to experience what you all did today can you just briefly take us inside what it felt like to make that walk you know it's interesting Brianna because police Executives over a period of 10 20 30 years I had two and a half decades in in the business there isn't that much we haven't seen uh in that period of our lifetimes or our careers but when you stand in front of a crematorium when you stand in front of a place where 1.2 million people were killed were executed because of the their religion um it has a remarkable impact a remarkable impact and I will tell you I looked at the faces of my fellow officers uh uh our Colonel and lieutenant colonel from from New Jersey um uh are our other senior executives that they they're they were they were absolutely um horrified by what they saw and being able to take that and transition it back to their officers vis-a-vis training um and uh and and really setting a tone Within These departments that hatred and bigotry could lead to something like this in modern times the police have a very important role a very important part and uh and even potentially preventing uh something like that of ever occurring again uh within a Democratic Society certainly something you'll never forget uh Paul Goldenberg Chief policy advisor with the Rutgers Miller Center Paul thanks so much thank you Brianna thank you very much leadership support for exploring hate is provided by the Sylvia a and Simon D Toyota programming endowment to fight anti-Semitism with additional major funding from Sue and Edgar wachenheim III Charlotte and David ackard the Peter G Peterson and Joan Ganz Cooney fund and Patty Asquith Kenner additional support is provided by the tiger behind Foundation Nancy and Mars W off it and Josh Weston [Music]