From left; Rabbi Abraham Cooper; Ritchie Torres; Rabbi Marvin Hier and Michael Buchman.
US Congressman Ritchie Torres (D-NY) met this week with Rabbi Marvin Hier, Founder and Dean of the Center andRabbi Abraham Cooper, the Center’s Associate Dean and Director of Global Social Action at the International headquarters of the leading Jewish Human Rights NGO in Los Angeles.
As a member of the New York City Council prior to being elected to Congress, Mr. Torres, was a strongsupporter of the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s educational projects, including special presentations on Digital Terrorism and hate at New York City schools in his district. An outspokenProgressive and rising star in the House, Torres is an unapologetic supporter of the State of Israel.
Mr. Torres, along with community activist Michael Buchman, the grandson of a Holocaust survivor who volunteered at the Museum ofTolerance, toured the Museum, interacting with its dynamic, new social lab. At the start of the Holocaust section, the Congressman selected a random card with the name and photo of a Jewish childimpacted by the Nazi Holocaust. Incredibly, his “partner” was a young girl from Salonika Greece whose name was Oro Torres. Along with her family she was deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau where shewas gassed.
He was joined by Rabbi Hier and Rabbi Cooper. Mr. Torres was also shown an original letter written and signed by AdolphHitler in 1919 in which he calls for the destruction of the Jewish people.
Rabbi Marvin Hiershowing ‘The Hitler Letter’ to US Congressman Ritchie Torres at The Museum of Tolerance.
“The Simon Wiesenthal Center is honored to host a young member of the United States Congress who combines a deepcommitment to social justice a firm commitment to combat anti-Semitism, and a profound appreciation for America’s ally–Israel,” Rabbi Hier and Cooper noted, adding, “the Simon Wiesenthal Center looks forward to working with Congressman Torres on manydomestic and global issues in the future.”
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, orfollow @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)