This morning as I awoke I was greated with the news that one of the heroes of our time, Simon Wiesenthal, died overnight. Wiesenthal was a survivor of the Holocaust who spent his life in search of truth and through that truth, freedom. His search for Nazis hidding from their past inspired a center named for him, The Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC).

Rabbi Marvin Hier, Dean and Founder of the Center, said,
“I think he’ll be remembered as the conscience of the Holocaust. In a way he became the permanent representative of the victims of the Holocaust, determined to bring the perpetrators of the greatest crime to justice,”. (Quotation from Ha’aretz.)

Many have written about his life much better than I can. Some links include:
Simon Wiesenthal Center Obituary
Ha’aretz Obituary
Biography of Wiesenthal’s life (by the SWC)
Jerusalem Post Obituary
Comments by general people on Wiesenthal’s life and death
Ynet Obituary

[By the way, if you are unfamiliar with the phrase “baruch dayan ha’emet” it means “blessed is the true Judge” and is a phrase which many Jews say when they hear of a death.]

May his family find comfort in this difficult time.
May his soul rest with the Divine Holy One.