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The Simon Wiesenthal Center (often abbreviated '''SWC'''), with headquarters in Los Angeles, California , was established in 1977 . According to its mission statement, it is "an international Jew ish Human Rights organization dedicated to Repairing The World one step at a time. The Center’s multifaceted mission generates changes through the Snider Social Action Institute and education by confronting Antisemitism , Hate and Terrorism , promoting human rights and dignity, standing with Israel , defending the safety of Jews worldwide, and teaching the lessons of The Holocaust for future generations." SWC Home > About Us The Center is accredited as a Non-governmental Organization (NGO) at the United Nations , the UNESCO , and the Council Of Europe . The organization fosters tolerance and understanding through community involvement, educational outreach and social action. The Center closely interacts on an ongoing basis with a variety of public and private agencies, meeting with elected officials, the war criminals, fighting against ODESSA networks; Holocaust and tolerance education; Middle East Affairs; and extremist groups, Neo-Nazism , and hate on the Internet . NAME AND LEADERSHIP The organization is named after Simon Wiesenthal , a former engineer and an Austria n Jew who lost many family members in the Holocaust, and later pledged to hunt down Nazis and bring them to justice. He founded and headed the Jewish Documentation Center in Vienna . Simon Wiesenthal had nothing to do with the operation or activities of the SWC other than giving it its name. The SWC is headed by Rabbi Marvin Hier , its Dean and Founder. Rabbi Abraham Cooper is the Associate Dean and Rabbi Meyer May is the Executive Director. The organization publishes a seasonal magazine, ''Response''. MUSEUM OF TOLERANCE See Also: Museum of Tolerance The Center’s educational arm, Museum of Tolerance, was founded in 1993 and hosts 350,000 visitors annually. Some of the programs sponsored by the Museum include:
New York Tolerance Center is a professional development multi-media training facility targeting educators, law enforcement officials, and state/local government practitioners. Moriah Films, the film division of the SWC, was created to produce theatrical documentaries to educate both national and international audiences. The Simon Wiesenthal Center and its Museum Of Tolerance is one of many partner organizations of the Austria n Association for Service Abroad ( Auslandsdienst ) and the corresponding so-called Austrian Holocaust Memorial Service (Gedenkdienst). OFFICE LOCATIONS The headquarters of the Simon Wiesenthal Center is in , Miami , Toronto , Jerusalem , Paris , and Buenos Aires . Through its national and international offices the Center carries out its above mentioned mission of preserving the memory of the Holocaust. LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES The Library and Archives of the center in L.A. has grown to a collection of about 50,000 volumes and non-print materials. Moreover, the Archives incorporates Photographs , Diaries , Letters , Artifacts , Artwork and rare Books , which are available to Researchers , Students and the General Public . LOCATED EX-NAZIS In November 2005 , the Simon Wiesenthal Center's Jerusalem Director, Dr. Efraim Zuroff , located Aribert Heim , who had been hiding in Spain for 20 years. The same month, it also gave the name of four suspected former Nazi criminals to German authorities. The names were the first results of Operation Last Chance , a drive launched that year by the center to track down former Nazis for World War II-era crimes before they die of old age. {Link without Title} . FEATURED IN ''FREEDOM WRITERS'' FILM The center is featured in the real life story-based '' Freedom Writers .'' An exterior view of the center is given, and there are scenes inside the museum, showing simulation entrances to Gas Chambers in Death Camps . CRITICISM
In a second case, the dean and associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center confirmed a Report written by Iranian exiles on Iranian religious minorities being forced to wear badges identifying them to Muslims . The confirmation resulted in the Canadian National Post newspaper printing a highly critical article on Iran that created an international uproar. Upon further investigation, the New Iranian Sumptuary Law proved to be totally false and the confirmation totally unfounded. In addition, some critics claim the Center has a long history of intolerance toward viewpoints that differ from its own. For instance, by supporting the state of Israel, and attacking critics of Israeli policy, regardless of topic. Also, the Simon Wiesenthal Center sharply criticized MoveOn.org for accepting and posting an ad comparing President George Bush to Adolf Hitler during the 2004 U.S. election. While many could see a valid comparison As part of an article, Thom Hartmann's comparison of Bush and Hitler. 'How Will History Treat George Bush?' by Richard W. Behan 1-29-2006; Available here Accessed 22 March 2007., the Rabbi Marvin Hier said, "it is about lies and a distortion of history”. On March 8 2007 , the head of international relations for the Simon Wiesenthal Center, Stanley Trevor Samuels, was convicted of Defamation by a Paris courthouse for accusing the French-based Committee For Charity And Support For The Palestinians (CBSP) of sending funds to the families of Palestinian suicide bombers. In its filing of the suit, the CBSP labelled the accusations "ridiculous", stating that its charitable work consisted of providing aid to some 3,000 Palestinian orphans. The court ruled that documents produced by the Wiesenthal Center established no "direct or indirect participation in financing terrorism" on the part of the CBSP, and that the allegations were "seriously defamatory".Nazi-hunting centre convicted for defamation. Agence France Presse (March 8, 2007). Available here. Accessed 12 March 2007. The Wiesenthal Centre is appealing the court ruling, which it believed was unjustified. NOTES SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
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