05/20/2026
You don’t have to be Jewish to stand with us this Jewish American Heritage Month. Read what our Board Chair, Dawn Aaron, wrote as she reflects on allyship, Holocaust remembrance, and why standing against antisemitism matters to us all:
"As I reflect this Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM), I find myself thinking not only about the history of the Jewish people, but also about the history of this organization and the role allyship continues to play in the future of Jewish life.
As Chair of the Board of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, I know personally that you don’t have to be Jewish to care deeply about Jewish life and challenge antisemitism this JAHM.
I was first introduced to the Center by my late husband, Roland. Decades ago, he traveled to Vienna to ask Simon Wiesenthal for permission to use his name for what would become the Simon Wiesenthal Center. What stayed with me then—and has stayed with me ever since—is the clarity of purpose behind it.
The Center was founded by those who understood the need for an organization grounded in education, memory, and action. Through my years on the Board, I have come to understand our mission in a very personal way, listening to Holocaust survivors share their experiences and witnessing how their willingness to speak, even after unimaginable loss, makes it impossible to ignore what happens when hatred is left unchallenged.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center has always brought together people from different backgrounds around a shared belief: that antisemitism, hatred, and intolerance affect all of us, and confronting them is a responsibility we share together.
That’s why I choose to be an ally, why I choose to support the Simon Wiesenthal Center, and what I choose to celebrate this Jewish American Heritage Month."
With gratitude,
Dawn Aaron
Board of Trustees, Chair
Simon Wiesenthal Center
This Jewish American Heritage Month, carry Dawn’s message forward by supporting our work: wiesenthal.org/JAHM2026?utm_source=social
