SWC Mourns Passing of Queen Elizabeth

September 8, 2022

On behalf of the Board of Trustees and the hundreds of thousands of members of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, we wish to express our deepest sorrow on the passing of Queen Elizabeth.

At the end of the most horrific war humankind ever experienced, when people the world over, questioned whether there were brighter days in their future, Princess Elizabeth ascended the throne as Queen of England and helped pave the road to a future of hope and decency. Ever since, the Queen has dedicated her life to the principles of tolerance and human dignity, helping to preserve and build on the legacies of Sir Winston Churchill and the sacrifice of millions who defeated Nazism.  

Throughout her decades of leadership, Queen Elizabeth also displayed great empathy and respect for the Jewish Survivors of the Nazi Holocaust. We remember how moved our namesake Simon Wiesenthal was to receive an Honorary Knighthood from the Queen, shortly before his passing.

Rabbi Marvin Hier, Simon Wiesenthal Center Founder and CEO, was honored to have met the Queen in 1971 when she traveled to Canada.

Queen Elizabeth’s personal courage and steadfastness in war and peace should be cherished by all freedom loving people the world over.

We extend our condolences to the royal family and the people of the United Kingdom.

For further information, please email Michele Alkin, Director of Global Communications at malkin@wiesenthal.com or Shawn Rodgers at srodgers@wiesenthal.com, join the Center on Facebook, or follow @simonwiesenthal for news updates sent directly to your Twitter feed.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is an international Jewish human rights organization numbering over 400,000 members. It holds consultative status at the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the Council of Europe, the OAS, and the Latin American Parliament (PARLATINO).