Simon Wiesenthal Center Statement on the Passing of Ruth Gruber z"l

November 18, 2016



Ruth Gruber played a significant role and was an eyewitness to two of the most momentous events in the last 2000 years of Jewish history. Both as a reporter and volunteer working with Eleanor Roosevelt, she encountered firsthand the horrors of the Holocaust and helped bring thousands of Jewish children to the United States.

When the war ended, she took up the cause of returning the Jewish people to their ancient, promised homeland – the State of Israel.

Her unforgettable photos from aboard the ship, Exodus - the only photos taken on board the voyage - impacted and helped influence the Truman administration and the world to recognize the existence of the state of Israel.

She was the recipient of the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Medal of Valor in 1997 and was interviewed for two of the Center’s Moriah Films’ productions, in the Academy Award winning, “The Long Way Home” and “Unlikely Heroes”.

She was a great lady who made a lasting contribution to the memory of the Holocaust and the creation of the State of Israel,” said Center Dean and Founder, Rabbi Marvin Hier and Moriah Films Executive Producer, Richard Trank.

For more information, please contact the Center's Public Relations Department, 310-553-9036, join the Center on Facebook, www.facebook.com/simonwiesenthalcenter, or follow @simonwiesenthal for news updates sent direct to your Twitter feed.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is one of the largest international Jewish human rights organizations with over 400,000 member families in the United States. It is an NGO at international agencies including the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the OAS, the Council of Europe and the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino).

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