Considered by many, especially fellow Holocaust survivors, a hero and a saint, Simon Wiesenthal served as a conscience for the Western world.  For decades he practically single-handedly forced an entire generation to remember the horrific crimes and moral depravity that it had wished to forget. He knew that the dead could not cry out for justice and therefore, the living have the duty to achieve some small measure of justice for those offended.  

In 1980, President Jimmy Carter bestowed on him the United States Congressional Gold Medal, in recognition of his contributions to international justice. In 2000, President Bill Clinton awarded Simon Wiesenthal the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the U.S. Senate recently unanimously passed a resolution honoring him for his lasting legacy of promoting tolerance, justice and human rights around the world.

Simon Wiesenthal died on September 20, 2005, but his life example is a challenge to all to be brave and selfless in the pursuit of justice. Never again!  Yanuach Lo Mishkavo be shalom.

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