Known as 'the world's last Nazi hunter,' Efraim Zuroff has spent the last 30 years bringing suspected war criminals to justice. For several weeks this summer, he offered Jewish communities across the United States a window into his work that gets harder with each passing year.

Zuroff, Jerusalem director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, most recently spoke in the North Carolina cities of Raleigh and Charlotte, and the South Carolina cities of Columbia and Greenville. His talks centered on the process and significance of exposing, prosecuting and convicting such criminals; to date, Zuroff has brought 40 Holocaust-era figures to justice worldwide.

"Dr. Zuroff's speech had a dual appeal," explained Rabbi Yossi Refson, director of Chabad-Lubavitch of Charleston and the Low Country. "He presented a heartwarming message about how we care for our fellow Jews. And he also presented a powerful message for future perpetrators of hate: That Jews don't forget and will always come to find them."

According to Refson, hosting the Ph.D. and Nobel Peace Prize nominee was an important way to "spread the word" about remaining Nazi criminals and to put them on warning. Zuroff's goal of ensuring that the criminals know that they are hunted, he said, is furthered with such public events.

For Steve Zimmerman, who lives in Charleston, S.C., Zuroff's presentation was an ideal opportunity to teach his 18-year-old son about the Holocaust.

"I know that my son really got a lot out of it," said Zimmerman. "It was really important to listen to him, because we were able to learn about an era that is slowly ending, the history that is drawing to a close as these criminals get older. I brought my son because I wanted him to see a part of our history that in another 10 years may be totally gone."

Cheryl Phyllips, who attended the event with her husband and many friends, was most impressed by the diverse audience that the speaker attracted.

"It was extremely enlightening and very educational. Everyone was thoroughly amazed," said Phyllips. "A lot of the Jewish community came, as well as others from the area. At the event, I saw firsthand what a positive impact he had on the community. People were coming up to me and saying how much they appreciated what Dr. Zuroff had to say and how much they learned from him.

"It's so important for children and community members to hear this firsthand knowledge so that they'll be able to pass on the information to others," she added.

And for Beth Stapleton, listening to Zuroff's speech was an "extremely worthwhile" experience.

"Any opportunity to hear about the Holocaust or any issues involving hate against the Jews is something we need to pay attention to," said Stapelton. "The fact that not one of the criminals that Zuroff found was remorseful is a very sobering fact and gives me more resolve to strengthen the fabric of our community and to stay together as a people."

via chabadnews.org