Wiesenthal, the renowned Nazi hunter, commissioned himself to seek justice for the millions of Jews murdered at the hands of the Nazis during the Holocaust. He established the Jewish Documentation Center in Vienna, Austria and kept hundreds of files on former Nazis. Wiesenthal used the information to seek them out, inform the government, and ultimately bring them to trial. Though many believe he tracked them down himself, he mainly gathered and analyzed records, which then led to the arrests of the fugitives. With help from many supporters, such as Schwartz, Wiesenthal uncovered almost 1,100 Nazi war criminals, including the officer who had captured fourteen year-old Anne Frank. In 1977, the Simon Wiesenthal Center was established in California as a place of remembrance for all those who perished during the Holocaust.
After hearing about Wiesenthal, a survivor of the concentration camps, a young Schwartz wrote him a letter offering him his support, declaring that he was "willing to work with him and for him, and help him however he could" in carrying out his mission to hunt down and bring Nazis to trial for the crimes they had committed. "Wiesenthal was about justice, not revenge. That's what impressed me the most about him," Schwartz revealed.
After the initial letter, Schwartz did not hear back from Wiesenthal for some time. Former Nazis targeted Wiesenthal as a threat, and therefore as a safety precaution, he required a background check on Schwartz to verify his identity and confirm that his offer of help was genuine. Wiesenthal finally wrote back in June 1965, and their association blossomed from there. Early on, Schwartz sent a typewriter and whatever money he could to Wiesenthal, a gesture to show his devotion to the cause.
Rabbi Schwartz first met Simon Wiesenthal in 1967 when Schwartz hosted him on his first trip to the United States. A chaplain in the Air Force at the time, Schwartz picked up Wiesenthal at the airport and brought him back to his hotel. Though this was their first meeting, they had corresponded for some time. "I don't think anybody but me has the details, history, and photographs of Wiesenthal dating back to the 60s. At that time he was relatively unknown," said Schwartz.
Through the years, Schwartz assisted Wiesenthal in obtaining information on fugitives hiding in the United States. In one instance, Schwartz actually went undercover to interview a suspected former Nazi he found living in Highland Park, NJ. After the meeting, the FBI contacted Schwartz, who then met an officer in the airport and handed over the taped interview. The evidence led to the arrest and trial of the suspected war criminal. In addition to uncovering information, Schwartz always tried to interest people and involve them in Wiesenthal's mission. He wrote numerous articles for various papers highlighting Wiesenthal's tireless efforts to bring forth justice. As a result of their involvement and close friendship, Wiesenthal asked Schwartz to write a forward for one of his books, "Sunflower," which was published in 1970. Schwartz was honored and gladly complied.
Wiesenthal and Schwartz, lifelong and intimate friends, stayed in contact for the past 40 years after their initial meeting and correspondence. When Wiesenthal visited the US, he made sure to call the Rabbi and have dinner with him and his wife, and every year Schwartz received a personal New Year's card, even this year before Wiesenthal's death. Over the years their relationship grew, and they spent time together whenever possible. Schwartz feels honored to have known Wiesenthal, a man of such stature, and admires his perseverance and the many achievements made during his lifetime.
