Last night, Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center's (FSWC) President and CEO Avi Benlolo was honoured at the Canadian Friends of Haifa University annual Mount Carmel Dinner.

At the dinner, Benlolo received the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (honoris causa) from the University of Haifa in recognition of his work as a prominent Canadian human rights activist and accomplishments in Holocaust education and combating antisemitism.

Following a special tribute from the Hon. Irwin Cotler, a previous recipient of the honorary doctorate degree, Benlolo spoke about his commitment to the Jewish community and thanked the many individuals who have supported and joined him in the fight against hate - emphasizing that it  takes a village to successfully defend and stand up for human rights.

"Our responsibility - our place in this world as a people  - is to warn humanity about the consequence of conflict and hate," said Benlolo after outlining how studies have shown that 1 billion people on this  planet harbour antisemitic views and Jewish people are the survivors of  centuries of persecution. "We have earned the legitimacy and moral right to speak out; and we must grow our tent to include everyone who believes in  civil rights, freedom and democracy - core principles in Judaism."

"Through our work, we have created tools that universalize this message and inspire all people to take individual and  collective responsibility. We do this by continuing to educate, advocate and agitate, set policy, strengthen scholarship and encourage legal reform and action where necessary."

Thank you to everyone who came out last night to show their support for Avi Benlolo and FSWC! Together we are making the world a better place.

Support  FSWC's ongoing efforts to counter racism and antisemitism throughout Canada.

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