Elie Wiesel: Inspiring Lives

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Elie Wiesel Inspiring Lives

• By Michael Villongco and Ryan Woo

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Early Life

• Born on September 30th, 1928 in Sighet, Romania
• Youngest in family of six
• Raised under a Orthodox Jewish heritage, studying
  the Torah and Kabala to a great extent.
• Family in the middle class of society.

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Holocaust Experiences

• Spring 1944 Nazi organize the Sighet Jews into
  ghettos.
• Later, deported to extermination camp at
  Auschwitz.
• Father died of starvation and abusive behavior.
• Liberated on April, 1945 in Buchenwald.

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Post WW2 Days in America

• After the war, Elie was placed in a French
  orphanage where he reunited with his two
  surviving sisters.
• Moved to New York in 1955, and worked as a news
  correspondent.
• Became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1963.

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Literature

• Wrote highly regarded novel, Night, under the
  influence of Francois Mauriac released in 1958.
• Released over 40 different works, fiction and
  non-fiction, many of which focused upon the
  events of the Holocaust.

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Accomplishments and Awards

• Awarded numerous literary prizes for
  accomplishments in literature, many of which
  involved Holocaust experiences.
• Received the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor in
  1955 for dedication to justice.
• Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986, for
  speaking against violence and racism.

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Accomplishments and Awards

• Shortly after receiving Nobel Prize, he and his
  wife, Marion, established the Elie Wiesel
  Foundation for Humanity.
• Continues as a popular witness speaker regarding
  the experiences within the Holocaust.
• In 1978, Wiesel was appointed as Chairman of the
  Presidents Commission on the Holocaust.
• Two years later, he became the founding chairman
  of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council.

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I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever
human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We
must always take sides. Neutrality helps the
oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages
the tormentor, never the tormented.
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Work in Sudan

• Over 400,000 Sudanese have been killed, with over
  2,000,000 refugees, driven from their home.
• On September 14, 2006, Wiesel approached the U.N.
  Security Council concerning the effects of the
  Sudan Genocide.
• There is no choice but to act in defense of
  defenseless people. Those who commit genocide
  must not be allowed to hide behind national
  borders and claims of sovereignty.
• Elie Wiesel and George Clooney at the UN