The Simon Wiesenthal Center Board of Trustees has unanimously elected Dawn Arnall as our new Chair of the SWC and its Museum of Tolerance.

“We are thrilled to welcome Dawn as our new Chairwoman. She, along with her late husband, Roland, have been key supporters of the Simon Wiesenthal Center since its inception. She is exactly the right leader at the right time. A proud American, an activist on behalf of social causes, a fierce Zionist and defender of the Jewish people, Dawn is the right choice at the right time.   

She assumes this leadership role at a time when the Center is growing in new and dynamic directions,” said Rabbi Marvin Hier, Simon Wiesenthal Center Founder and CEO. “Dawn is the perfect choice to shepherd us into a new era."

Dawn, together with her late husband Ambassador Roland Arnall, who was a survivor of the Holocaust, played pivotal leadership roles at every stage of the development of the Simon Wiesenthal Center. In 1977, Mr. Arnall accompanied Rabbi Hier to a historical meeting in Vienna with Simon Wiesenthal, where the late Nazi hunter entrusted his name to the creation of the Jewish human rights NGO, which today has some 400,000 members and offices in the US, Canada, Argentina, France and Israel.  

Dawn is an accomplished businesswoman, investor, and a committed philanthropist committed to human rights, conservation, military veterans, and education. She serves as a Trustee and Chair of the National Leadership Council for the National Medal of Honor Museum and is a Trustee of the William and Mary Foundation Board. Dawn is Chairman of the International Council of Advisors for the Jerusalem-based, Shalva National Center for people with disabilities. She also served on the National Geographic and Conservation International Boards as well as the Smithsonian National Zoological Advisory Board. Together with her late husband, they are the single largest contributors to the Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem, which will bear the name of Ambassador Arnall and is slated to open in 2023.

Gordon Diamond, renowned Canadian businessman and philanthropist, has been unanimously elected to serve as co-Chairman of the SWC’s Board of Trustees. Mr. Diamond, who, in addition to being a lifelong supporter of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, is a recipient of the Order of British Columbia and was invested as an Officer of the Order of Canada.  A deeply respected business leader, Mr. Diamond was inducted to The Business Laureates of British Columbia Hall of Fame.

In addition to his great success as a businessman, one of Gordon’s proudest achievements is the Diamond Foundation which he set up with his late father, Jack Diamond in 1984 as a vehicle for his philanthropic aspirations. Since inception, the Diamond Foundation has made landmark contributions to the quality of life of all Canadians through their commitments to hospitals, schools, the Arts and other public and charitable causes.

Gordon and his wife, Leslie, both natives of Vancouver, are leaders of Canadian Jewry and deeply committed to the future of Jewish education.

Joining Gordon Diamond as a co-chairman of the Center’s Board of Trustees is Aaron Marzwell. Aaron is a Founder & Co-Managing Partner of APPA Real Estate. APPA’s focus is to promote long-term, material, positive impact in communities by investing in rental properties as an active owner and manager. Aaron has been a pioneer in impact investing and has specialized in the work of the restructuring of distressed assets and investments. Aaron specializes in negotiations of the acquisition, development, management, and disposition of real estate investments. He is involved in many civic ventures having served on numerous boards and committees throughout his career.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center expresses its gratitude to outgoing Board Chairman Larry Mizel and the Mizel family for their many years of dedication, service and significant support of the Center. Mr. Mizel was the Center’s second Board Chairman. The founding Chairman of the Simon Wiesenthal Center was the late Samuel Belzberg.

For more information, contact Michele E. Alkin, Director of Global Communications, Simon Wiesenthal Center, malkin@wiesenthal.com.