For the nearly 3 decades that I knew Simon Wiesenthal, he never once took a break from hunting for Nazis, speaking out against anti-Semitism, and keeping alive the memory of the Holocaust — with only one exception — his 90th birthday. An event that he insisted take place in Hitler’s favorite hotel, where both Himmler and the Führer had permanent suites, the Imperial Hotel in Vienna. That night Simon told us the reason for his request. He said, “I want to make sure that history shows that Simon Wiesenthal celebrated his 90^th birthday at the Imperial.”

With tears in his eyes, he then looked up at the crystal chandeliers and told the hundreds of guests from around the world, “Even the chandeliers are shaking, because this is surely the first time they’ve heard Jewish music here. But the important thing for all of us to remember is that even here, in the Imperial, Hitler’s favorite hotel, the Nazis are gone, but we, the Jews, are still here and still singing.”

My friends, this has been a tough year, unprecedented anti-Semitism on campuses, terrorist attacks from Paris to Los Angeles, but there’s one thing you can do for us.

We still need 1,851 supporters to donate $54 or more to get us to where we need to be by midnight tonight.

Help celebrate Simon Wiesenthal’s birthday today by supporting the Center that bears his name and continues his legacy.

With your generous support, the Center will remain strong in the coming year as we continue to fight for Jewish students on campus, combat anti-Semitism and stand up for Israel.

Rabbi Marvin Hier, Founder and Dean