Anne Frank Center of Argentina Honors Simon Wiesenthal Center Director for Latin America with Anne Frank Award

June 12, 2025

Ariel Gelblung recognized for his ongoing fight against antisemitism, xenophobia, and terrorism

Buenos Aires, June 10, 2025

The Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Director for Latin America, Dr Ariel Gelblung, was recognized for his ongoing fight against antisemitism, racism, xenophobia, and terrorism by the Anne Frank Center in Argentina. The Anne Frank Award was delivered by Ambassador Maria Fabiana Loguzzo, Head of the Argentine Delegation to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) and Argentina's Special Envoy for the Fight Against Antisemitism. 

The Anne Frank Award recognizes public figures and institutions that contribute to perpetuating the legacy of Anne Frank. In addition to Dr. Gelblung, the Anne Frank Center also recognized four Holocaust survivors who were honored for regularly sharing their testimony at Anne Frank Center events.

Upon receiving the award, Dr. Gelblung said, "The Anne Frank Center honors the legacy of a Jewish teenager who bore personal witness to what Jews suffered in the 1940s and earned the empathy of the world. Sadly, much of the same antisemitism that Anne Frank experienced in her brief life still exists today. On the streets of Amsterdam, Jews cannot walk without fear of being attacked. We might be denied a visa to Australia for having defended the State of Israel. At an elite university in the United States, we could be harassed. Our ancestors cannot rest in peace in the Managua cemetery because it has been vandalized. In Colombia, our institutions are at risk of having their legal status revoked. Pregnant Jewish women are insulted in Santiago, Chile for carrying potential future genocidal killers in their wombs. In Montevideo, International Women's Day and Mardi Gras are used to spread antisemitic messages. Attacks on social media in Argentina and Brazil grow by the day.

“Anne Frank's legacy is a call to stem this wave of madness. Each of us must do our part to continue her inspiring vision of empathy and kindness.”

For further information, please email Erik Simon at esimon@wiesenthal.com, Deborah Camiel at dcamiel@wiesenthal.com, join the Center on Facebook, or follow @simonwiesenthal for news updates sent directly to your X feed.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is an international Jewish human rights organization. It holds consultative status at the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the Council of Europe, the OAS, and the Latin American Parliament (PARLATINO).