Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) is proud to announce President & CEO Avi Benlolo received the Order of Vaughan in a special ceremony celebrating Vaughan's 25th anniversary on Tuesday evening.

"Exemplary citizenship should be recognized," said Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua. "You are a source of inspiration . . . you are a trailblazer - a leader in your field and a humanitarian. You stand for human rights . . . and believe everyone should be treated equally and with respect and tolerance. You make our city proud," the Mayor added.

"I feel truly honoured to receive this recognition on behalf of our 30,000 members across the country and as a leader in Canada's organized Jewish community," commented Mr. Benlolo. "It is heartening to know that Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center's efforts to further the cause of human rights through an array of educational initiatives have been acknowledged so publicly. We are clearly on the right track in advancing our agenda of tolerance and democratic values, and I feel both humble and proud."

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Contact 
Stacey L. Starkman 
Director of Communications & External Relations 
416.864.9735 x 32  / sstarkman@fswc.ca 

Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) is a leading Canadian non-profit human rights foundation directly representing over 30,000 members. 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, the Spirit of Hope Benefit, Tools for Tolerance and the widely acclaimed new 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