TORONTO (September 1, 2017) - This morning Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) was alerted to antisemitic graffiti on Highway 400 by Vaughan Mills that stated "Hitler was right." FSWC reported the hate crime to York Regional Police and the mayor's office, and work crews have since cleaned up the graffiti.

"There is an incredible amount of antisemitism here in our community, and we're asking the government and the Attorney General of Ontario to take these matters seriously," said FSWC President and CEO Avi Benlolo, who was at the scene of the incident this morning. 

"Hate crimes must be prosecuted and dealt with accordingly." FSWC originally learned about the graffiti after a woman who is the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors posted the image on social media. In response to Benlolo's video, she thanked FSWC for "giving us a voice."

"These types incidents continue to intensify, particularly against the Jewish community," said Benlolo. "I'm calling on community members and officials to help stop hate crimes and antisemitism."

FSWC is asking the public to sign its petition to help encourage officials to take these crimes as seriously as possible. The organization will continue to monitor the police investigation to ensure those responsible are found and charged.

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To arrange an interview with Avi Benlolo, please contact:

Atara Cadesky  
Communications Associate  
416.864.9735 x 30  
acadesky@fswc.ca

Avital Borisovsky  
Communications Associate    
416.864.9735 x 30  
aborisovsky@fswc.ca

Follow us on Twitter at @CanadianFSWC for latest news and organization updates.

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Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies (FSWC) is a top Jewish human rights foundation in Canada's organized Jewish community. It directly impacts over 100,000 people each year and 500,000+ peripherally. FSWC is committed to countering racism and antisemitism and to promoting the principles of tolerance, social justice and Canadian democratic values through advocacy and educational programs including workshops, Freedom Day, Spirit of Hope Benefit, Tools for Tolerance and the widely acclaimed Tour for Humanity. FSWC is affiliated with the Simon Wiesenthal Center, an international Jewish human rights organization headquartered in Los Angeles which has won two Academy Awards, has built two Museums of Tolerance (with a third being built in Jerusalem) and is an NGO at the United Nations, UNESCO, OAS, OSCE, the Council of Europe and the Latin American Parliament. Visit us at www.fswc.ca. 

Canadian Headquarters: Toronto 

Branches: Los Angeles • New York • Chicago • Paris • Buenos Aires • Israel