Simon Wiesenthal Center

Strong partnerships with local leaders help the Simon Wiesenthal Center bring the fight against antisemitism and all forms of hate directly into our communities. At a recent NYC Council town hall in the South Bronx, hosted by Council Member Elsie Encarnacion, SWC Northeast Government and Community Relations Associate Bryce A. Mack, MPA spoke with NYC Council Speaker Julie Menin and thanked her for her continued support of our work to advance human rights and build safer communities across New York City. Her support and funding will help us expand our Combat Hate educational programming in New York City schools, giving more young people the tools to recognize and confront antisemitism, hate, and intolerance. With committed partners and supporters, we can turn education into action and equip the next generation to stand against hate.

Jewish history cannot be erased from the story of the Middle East and North Africa. The Simon Wiesenthal Center stands with JIMENA: Jews Indigenous to the Middle East and North Africa and a coalition of Sephardic and Mizrahi organizations challenging New York Magazine’s recent “Habibi City” feature for excluding and marginalizing Jewish and other indigenous minority communities from its portrayal of Southwest Asian and North African identity in New York City. For centuries, Jewish communities were an integral part of the Middle East and North Africa. Any conversation about the region’s cultures, histories and communities must make room for their experiences and identities rather than render them invisible. We thank JIMENA and the coalition for calling attention to this important issue and encourage New York Magazine to engage with the communities whose voices were left out. Read the coalition’s letter: https://lnkd.in/gZD6xpes

Today, terms like “genocide” are used far too indiscriminately and to paint misleading versions of facts. That’s why it is important to study and learn from history and the roots of such words. At Simon Wiesenthal Center, we've learned from the past to call out present-day Holocaust distortion and the offensive, intellectually dishonest use of words such as “genocide” It's worth noting the origins of the word, which was coined by Raphael Lemkin, who died on this day in 1959, largely alone and in obscurity. A Polish-Jewish lawyer who had fled Nazi persecution, Lemkin lost more than 40 family members in the Holocaust. Out of that loss came a life's mission: to name and outlaw an act that, until then, had no legal definition. Lemkin coined the word "genocide" and spent years pushing the international community to recognize it as a crime. Lemkin's work eventually became the foundation of the 1948 UN Genocide Convention. He died before he could see how deeply his word and his framework would shape international law. It still does.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center proudly worked with the Chicago Bulls for the Skokie Unity Basketball Clinic, bringing young athletes together through basketball, teamwork, and community. SWC Midwest Regional Director Alison Pure-Slovin joined with the event, along with Skokie Mayor Ann Tennes. Together, we highlighted the power of community partnerships to promote unity, respect, and inclusion among Chicago-area youth.

The hardest part of telling an Israeli story is getting the film seen. Avi Nesher’s "Our Loves," produced in partnership with Moriah Media, has been selected for the Centerpiece section at the Toronto International Film Festival—breaking through a climate where Israeli films have increasingly faced hesitation, politics, and closed doors. This is about more than one film. It’s about ensuring Israeli stories—human, complex, and real—have a place on the world stage. The boycott of Israeli cinema isn’t over. But it is beginning to crack. read the full op-ed >> https://lnkd.in/e-K2THjr

In Vienna, SWC's Senior Representative for Europe, Daniel Schuster, spoke with 14 students from George Mason University about the Holocaust and the enduring threat of antisemitism. It was the latest in a series of conversations Daniel has held with American university students studying in Austria—including students from Lipscomb University, Oklahoma Christian University, Sattler College, Rochester Christian University, and Anderson University. These meaningful conversations help equip the next generation with the knowledge to understand the past, recognize antisemitism today, and stand up against hate. We are proud to be a trusted educational partner for academic institutions committed to these vital issues.

A victory for speaking out against hate. Yesterday, the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Latin American office called out the planned screening of a documentary expressing the narrative of Hamas at the Universidad de la República—Uruguay’s oldest and largest university. Our message sparked a wave of public action, with members of Parliament, university professors and students speaking out against the screening. Today, the screening was canceled. This is what happens when we refuse to stay silent. The Simon Wiesenthal Center will continue to expose antisemitism and challenge the normalization of hate at public universities or elsewhere.

Moriah Media, the storytelling arm of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, is proud to announce that Our Loves, the powerful new feature from acclaimed Israeli filmmaker Avi Nesher, has been selected to make its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) as part of its prestigious Centrepiece Programme. The film also received 12 Israel Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, and is now in contention to become Israel's official submission for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. Moriah Media tells stories that inform, enlighten, and inspire empathy and tolerance. Set against the backdrop of October 2023, Our Loves is an emotionally gripping story of resilience, hope, and the enduring strength of the human spirit. Congratulations to Avi Nesher and our partners at SIPUR Studios, United King Films, FOX Entertainment Studios, Access Entertainment, Artomas Communications, ZOA Films, and The Paul E. Singer Foundation. Read more in the Jerusalem Post: https://lnkd.in/g3gaSmkK

On July 28, a federal judge dismissed with prejudice a lawsuit challenging Assembly Bill 715, California’s groundbreaking law establishing the nation’s first statewide Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator for public schools. The Simon Wiesenthal Center and our partners at Jewish California proudly helped secure the passage of AB 715—and defended it in court. SWC was one of 31 Jewish organizations that joined an amicus brief filed by Jewish California’s pro bono legal team at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, led by former U.S. Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff. With antisemitic incidents in our schools having risen 623% over the last decade, these protections could not be more urgent. The court’s decision is a resounding victory for the Jewish community, for truth in our classrooms, and for educational equity. It sends a powerful message: Jewish students deserve equal protection, and antisemitism has no place in California’s schools.

A seven-week journey to prepare the next generation of leaders comes to a close. This week, the 2026 cohorts of our renowned NextGen Leaders program concluded with capstone project presentations and graduation ceremonies in four major cities. Throughout their experience, these more than 70 exceptional college students took part in hands-on internships at government offices and advocacy organizations—while learning how to confront antisemitism on campus and throughout their careers. In New York, interns and their families gathered at the Center for Jewish History for a rousing graduation, as well as discussions about combating hate and civic engagement from SWC Trustee and program founder Marc Utay, NYC Council Members Virginia Maloney and Justin Sanchez, JCRC NY’s Sara Fredman Aeder, and Clal’s Rebecca Leeman. In Los Angeles, interns enjoyed a Hollywood-style red-carpet reception, and they spoke with Unified School District board member Nick Melvoin and with SWC’s CEO, Jim Berk, about leadership, public service, and building careers driven by purpose. In Chicago, interns toured the Israeli consulate with Elad Strohmayer, Consul General for Israel to the Midwest, and they took a boat tour of Chicago’s iconic skyline. In Miami, local alumni shared reflections on how the program shaped their careers, and interns celebrated their growth from summer interns to civic leaders.