Jewish Group to Laud Humanitarians Sunday

The Jewish Community Center of Orange County will present its Humanitarian of the Year award June 6 to Christoph Meili, who discovered a box of World War II documents about to be shredded while working as a security guard in a Swiss bank. The documents detailed assets of Holocaust victims--and by Swiss law must be preserved.

After rescuing the documents, Meili left Switzerland with his family for the United States, where he was granted political asylum by a special act of Congress. In the fall, Meili will attend Chapman University on a full four-year scholarship.

Also being honored are Bruno Ledwin, regional chair of the Anti-Defamation League, and Mel Mermelstein, survivor of Auschwitz-Birkenau. A champagne reception and silent auction will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Westin South Coast Plaza, 686 Anton Boulevard in Costa Mesa.