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WHAT: The Judaic Studies Program in FIU’s School of International and Public Affairs and the Simon Wiesenthal Center will present a lecture by Efraim Zuroff, Director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center—Jerusalem. Zuroff is an American-born Israeli historian who has played an important role in the efforts to bring Nazi war criminals to justice during the past 28 years. Zuroff will discuss his role in “Operation: Last Chance”, which he launched in 2002 together with Aryeh Rubin, Director of the Targum Shlishi Foundation. Zuroff spearheaded a vast public campaign to locate and bring to justice as many as possible of the worst suspected Nazi criminals, before ill health or death spared them from standing trial.
After the lecture Zuroff will be signing copies of his new book, “Operation Last Chance: One Man’s Quest to Bring Nazi Criminals to Justice” and copies of the book will be available for purchase.
The lecture is co-sponsored by the Ruth K. and Shepard Broad International Lecture Series.
WHO: Zuroff describes himself as “one-third detective, one-third historian and one-third political lobbyist”. In 1978 he was invited to be the first director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, where he played a leading role in establishing the Center’s library and archives and was historical advisor for the Academy award-winning documentary “Genocide.” He began his career as a Nazi-hunter in 1980 when he was hired by the U.S. Justice Department’s Office of Special Investigations to be their sole researcher in Israel. During his six years in that capacity, his efforts assisted in the preparation of cases against numerous Nazi war criminals living in the United States.
In 1986 his research uncovered the postwar escape of hundreds of Nazi war criminals to Australia, Canada, Great Britain and other countries, and he rejoined the Wiesenthal Center to coordinate its international efforts to bring Holocaust perpetrators to justice. In the summer of 2002, Zuroff and Rubin launched “Operation: Last Chance,” which offers financial rewards for information which will facilitate the conviction and punishment of Nazi war criminals. So far, the project has been initiated in thirteen countries and has yielded the names of 530 hereto unknown suspects, one hundred of which have been submitted to local prosecutors.
WHEN and WHERE: 7 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 16, 2009, at the Paul L. Cejas Architecture Building Auditorium (Room 135), at Florida International University – Modesto A. Maidique Campus, 11200 SW 8th St., Miami. Doors will open and book sales will begin at 6:30 p.m. The lecture is free and open to the public, but seating is limited and reservations are required.
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR RESERVATIONS: Contact Oren Stier, Director of FIU’s Judaic Studies Program at 305-348-7266 or Linda Slavin, Director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center-Southern Region at lslavin@wiesenthal.com or 1-800-262-1627.
Media Contact: Madeline Baró at 305-348-2234.
-FIU-
About The Simon Wiesenthal Center:
The Simon Wiesenthal Center is an international Jewish human rights organization with over 400,000 member families. It is an NGO at international agencies, including the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, and the Council of Europe. Its Moriah documentary film division has been the recipient of two Academy AwardsTMfor Best Documentary Feature – Genocide (1980) and The Long Way Home (1997). For more information contact the Center’s Southern Regional office at 1.800.262.1627.
About the FIU Judaic Studies Program:
The Judaic Studies Program at Florida International University educates university students and faculty and the general South Florida community about Jewish history, culture, religion, literature, political science, and international relations. Judaic Studies offers academically rigorous, multidisciplinary courses at both the Biscayne Bay and Modesto A. Maidique campuses in a wide range of departments. For more information, visit: http://judaic.fiu.edu.
About FIU:
Florida International University was founded in 1965 and is Miami’s only public research university. With a student body of more than 38,000, its 17 colleges and schools offer more than 200 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs in fields such as engineering, international relations and law. More than 100,000 FIU alumni live and work in South Florida. FIU has been classified by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a “High Research Activity University”. In August 2009, FIU welcomed the inaugural class of the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. For more information about FIU, visit http://www.fiu.edu.
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This may sound horrible, but I see that as being the most pointless and purposeless of pursuits. It's been 60-70 years since WW2, anyone who was involved in it that's still alive has to be nearing death soon and likely in very poor health. So what's the point? There are thousands, millions of people who have been ill-treated by the justice system, falsely convicted and spending time in prison for crimes they didn't commit. How about spending the money to give those men and women back their lives instead of wasting it on people who will probably be dead in a few months/years anyways. It actually makes me a bit sick, thinking about the waste of time, money and effort that could do so much more good towards more worthwhile pursuits.
II definitely disagree with your assessment. I believe you are taking part in the common place practice of mixing apples and oranges or in this case known mass murderers and alleged innocent criminals. Personally, I am ecstatic to know that there are dedicated people like Efraim Zuroff in the world, who are willing to spend most of their life helping to catch and bring to justice mass murderers who in some cases the world has overlooked. In this day of instant gratification and short attention spans, we need to remember that there are real life monsters that still live amongst us. Nothing is more worthwhile than having these known criminals answer to society for the crimes that they have committed against humanity.
Not really. As I said, it’s been 60-70 years since WW2. Anyone who’s even still alive is likely on their deathbed, how much justice can be brought against someone who might not even live through a trial. It’s a waste of time, money, and effort.
Also you say alleged innocent criminals as if skeptical of there being people in prison who are innocent. They’ve shown that there are hundreds, thousands of men and women sitting in prison for crimes they don’t commit. I’m sorry but I see it as more worthwhile, and something that would be greater tribute to the people who lost their lives siting in prisons, to put that effort and money into giving innocent people back their freedom than to go after petty vengeance against people who, in most cases, aren’t even a the condition for it to really mean anything.
It is our moral duty to the holocaust victims to do any possible effort to bring Nazi war criminals to justice. No matter their age. Not only to bring justice, but also for all of us to hear testimony and NEVER FORGET the crimes they committed against humanity.
Thank you Efraim and the Simon Wiesenthal Center for dedicating yourself for this important mission.
What kind of justice can really be brought against these men? I don't see his mission as fulfilling a moral duty, I see it as bordering on petty vengeance. Many of these men, while having committed atrocities, have done things that are no worse than many of our own soldiers have done in the name of war. There's plenty of remembrance for the Holocaust, more than any other major tragedy in history. There's no risk of forgetting. Personally, I believe that effort should be put towards doing something positive. We're so focused on being negative: getting vengeance, bringing people to justice. How about focusing on the positive, like giving someone back their lives. Or using that money towards helping people who are in the same situation that the Jews were in today. How about sending money and aid to Darfur? I just see there being so much more productive ways to spend all that money and to put all that effort towards, helping should come before hurting even if you believe that those you'd be hurting deserve it.