This Chanukah: Freedom Is Not A Gift.. We Have To Fight Every Day

December 19, 2022

Dear Friends and Supporters,

Today, as we celebrate the first day of Chanukah, I wanted to wish you and your families a happy and healthy holiday.

At the end of this month, we commemorate the namesake of our institution, Simon Wiesenthal’s birthday. Had Simon still been alive today, he would be shocked. Anti-Semitism and bigotry have once again taken center stage, threatening our world and the future of humankind. Not since the end of World War II have we witnessed such a resurgence of hate.

Simon would be astonished at how prevalent anti-Semitism is in America today. How the United States has become “ground zero” for the world’s oldest hate and how anti-Semitic incidents have hit a 42 year high across the US.

Social media continues to fuel this phenomenon while mainstreaming hate with the help of celebrities, sports figures, even some political leaders, and others who influence tens of millions of young people every day.

That is why the work of the Center has never been more crucial and needed. As Simon Wiesenthal often reminded us, “Freedom is not a gift from heaven, it is something we have to fight for each and every day.”

Rabbi Marvin Hier

Founder and CEO

Simon Wiesenthal Center