Elie Wiesel, born Sept 30, 1928 - died July 2, 2016
July 2, 2016 1:11 PM Subscribe
Israel news website Haaretz.com reports on the death of Elie Wiesel Elie Wiesel, who survived the Holocaust and went on to become an influential author and Nobel Peace Prize winner, has died, Israel's Holocaust memorial Yad Vashem said on Saturday. Born in 1928, Wiesel wrote extensively of his imprisonment in Nazi camps and in 1986 won the Nobel Prize for peace.
"The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference.
The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference.
The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference.
And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference." ~Elie Wiesel
The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity
Elie Wiesel Nobel Peace Prize 1986
Oprah Winfrey and Elie Wiesel in Auschwitz
Night is one of the masterpieces of Holocaust literature. First published in 1958, it is the autobiographical account of an adolescent boy and his father in Auschwitz. Elie Wiesel writes of their battle for survival and of his battle with God for a way to understand the wanton cruelty he witnesses each day. In the short novel Dawn (1960), a young man who has survived World War II and settled in Palestine joins a Jewish underground movement and is commanded to execute a British officer who has been taken hostage. In Day (previously titled The Accident, 1961), Wiesel questions the limits of conscience: Can Holocaust survivors forge a new life despite their memories? Wiesel's trilogy offers insights on mankind's attraction to violence and on the temptation of self-destruction.
"The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference.
The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference.
The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference.
And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference." ~Elie Wiesel
The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity
Elie Wiesel Nobel Peace Prize 1986
Oprah Winfrey and Elie Wiesel in Auschwitz
Night is one of the masterpieces of Holocaust literature. First published in 1958, it is the autobiographical account of an adolescent boy and his father in Auschwitz. Elie Wiesel writes of their battle for survival and of his battle with God for a way to understand the wanton cruelty he witnesses each day. In the short novel Dawn (1960), a young man who has survived World War II and settled in Palestine joins a Jewish underground movement and is commanded to execute a British officer who has been taken hostage. In Day (previously titled The Accident, 1961), Wiesel questions the limits of conscience: Can Holocaust survivors forge a new life despite their memories? Wiesel's trilogy offers insights on mankind's attraction to violence and on the temptation of self-destruction.
There are no words to express...
May he rest in peace.
.
posted by BigHeartedGuy at 1:13 PM on July 2, 2016 [4 favorites]
May he rest in peace.
.
posted by BigHeartedGuy at 1:13 PM on July 2, 2016 [4 favorites]
He blessed all of humanity with his memories. May his memory be a blessing.
.
posted by sallybrown at 1:15 PM on July 2, 2016 [8 favorites]
.
posted by sallybrown at 1:15 PM on July 2, 2016 [8 favorites]
.
posted by get off of my cloud at 1:18 PM on July 2, 2016
posted by get off of my cloud at 1:18 PM on July 2, 2016
.
He lived so that we could listen and learn.
posted by infini at 1:19 PM on July 2, 2016 [2 favorites]
He lived so that we could listen and learn.
posted by infini at 1:19 PM on July 2, 2016 [2 favorites]
.
posted by fingers_of_fire at 1:20 PM on July 2, 2016
posted by fingers_of_fire at 1:20 PM on July 2, 2016
I think he played a tremendous role in keeping me in touch with my Jewish heritage, and I'm forever grateful for that.
.
posted by obfuscation at 1:25 PM on July 2, 2016 [6 favorites]
.
posted by obfuscation at 1:25 PM on July 2, 2016 [6 favorites]
“There is divine beauty in learning... To learn means to accept the postulate that life did not begin at my birth. Others have been here before me, and I walk in their footsteps. The books I have read were composed by generations of fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, teachers and disciples. I am the sum total of their experiences, their quests. And so are you.” - Elie Wiesel
.
posted by fraula at 1:26 PM on July 2, 2016 [27 favorites]
.
posted by fraula at 1:26 PM on July 2, 2016 [27 favorites]
It is painful -- although perhaps just the cyclical nature of life -- that we are losing this generation just as we seem to need them most. Wiesel said that those who had not been to Auschwitz would never know, but they could understand. For how much longer?
posted by sallybrown at 1:27 PM on July 2, 2016 [18 favorites]
posted by sallybrown at 1:27 PM on July 2, 2016 [18 favorites]
Paragon.
My whole household cried. I never thought about sitting shiva for a stranger before.
posted by syncope at 1:27 PM on July 2, 2016 [19 favorites]
My whole household cried. I never thought about sitting shiva for a stranger before.
posted by syncope at 1:27 PM on July 2, 2016 [19 favorites]
.
posted by metaquarry at 1:32 PM on July 2, 2016
posted by metaquarry at 1:32 PM on July 2, 2016
transcript of his speech at the opening of the US Holocaust Memorial. I can't find it now, but it's worth seeking out the footage to watch Mr. Wiesel implore the then-new President Clinton to not turn a blind eye towards atrocities in Yugoslavia.
posted by fingers_of_fire at 1:34 PM on July 2, 2016 [6 favorites]
posted by fingers_of_fire at 1:34 PM on July 2, 2016 [6 favorites]
My 15 yr old son just read the book "Night" for his English class, parallel to the WW2 unit he was doing in his history class. Lead to lots of good conversation over dinner. Very sad indeed.
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 1:40 PM on July 2, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 1:40 PM on July 2, 2016 [4 favorites]
.
posted by dinty_moore at 1:43 PM on July 2, 2016
posted by dinty_moore at 1:43 PM on July 2, 2016
.
posted by Small Dollar at 1:45 PM on July 2, 2016
posted by Small Dollar at 1:45 PM on July 2, 2016
Barukh attah Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha-olam, dayan ha-emet.
.
posted by Halloween Jack at 1:48 PM on July 2, 2016 [22 favorites]
.
posted by Halloween Jack at 1:48 PM on July 2, 2016 [22 favorites]
.
posted by peripathetic at 1:51 PM on July 2, 2016
posted by peripathetic at 1:51 PM on July 2, 2016
The Oprah link above in the main post is very good.
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 1:53 PM on July 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 1:53 PM on July 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
.
posted by sutureselves at 1:57 PM on July 2, 2016
posted by sutureselves at 1:57 PM on July 2, 2016
.
posted by WizardOfDocs at 2:07 PM on July 2, 2016
posted by WizardOfDocs at 2:07 PM on July 2, 2016
.
posted by languagehat at 2:10 PM on July 2, 2016
posted by languagehat at 2:10 PM on July 2, 2016
Let's all be a little less indifferent.
.
posted by zachlipton at 2:10 PM on July 2, 2016 [10 favorites]
.
posted by zachlipton at 2:10 PM on July 2, 2016 [10 favorites]
.
posted by snuffleupagus at 2:19 PM on July 2, 2016
posted by snuffleupagus at 2:19 PM on July 2, 2016
.
posted by but no cigar at 2:20 PM on July 2, 2016
posted by but no cigar at 2:20 PM on July 2, 2016
Probably the wisest person I've ever met, and one of the most compassionate. On top of that he was funnier than you'd expect, and on top of all that he somehow still had the patience to actually Socratically teach a bunch of college sophomores. What a great loss.
.
posted by mstokes650 at 2:23 PM on July 2, 2016 [18 favorites]
.
posted by mstokes650 at 2:23 PM on July 2, 2016 [18 favorites]
.
posted by pyramid termite at 2:24 PM on July 2, 2016
posted by pyramid termite at 2:24 PM on July 2, 2016
.
posted by homunculus at 2:25 PM on July 2, 2016
posted by homunculus at 2:25 PM on July 2, 2016
.
He lost assets in the Madoff scheme; I hope he was able to recover them.
posted by brujita at 2:26 PM on July 2, 2016 [2 favorites]
He lost assets in the Madoff scheme; I hope he was able to recover them.
posted by brujita at 2:26 PM on July 2, 2016 [2 favorites]
.
posted by JoeXIII007 at 2:27 PM on July 2, 2016
posted by JoeXIII007 at 2:27 PM on July 2, 2016
.
An amazing life and an amazing man - let us give thanks for his life.
posted by mumimor at 2:27 PM on July 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
An amazing life and an amazing man - let us give thanks for his life.
posted by mumimor at 2:27 PM on July 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
.
I find it staggering, each time a Holocaust survivor passes away, to think about the scope of their lives - the things they did, the families they made, the legacy they built, the good they did in the world. And then to imagine the capacity for creation and life and legacy that 11 million more men and women like Elie Wiesel had - how much more the world could have done if they hadn't been murdered.
posted by ChuraChura at 2:30 PM on July 2, 2016 [32 favorites]
I find it staggering, each time a Holocaust survivor passes away, to think about the scope of their lives - the things they did, the families they made, the legacy they built, the good they did in the world. And then to imagine the capacity for creation and life and legacy that 11 million more men and women like Elie Wiesel had - how much more the world could have done if they hadn't been murdered.
posted by ChuraChura at 2:30 PM on July 2, 2016 [32 favorites]
Remembering Elie Wiesel: A Tribute From a Friend and Disciple
posted by homunculus at 2:32 PM on July 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by homunculus at 2:32 PM on July 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
.
posted by gingerbeer at 2:32 PM on July 2, 2016
posted by gingerbeer at 2:32 PM on July 2, 2016
.
posted by little onion at 2:33 PM on July 2, 2016
posted by little onion at 2:33 PM on July 2, 2016
Another Titan has passed, and the world seems smaller. Maybe every generation feels this way, but I feel like we are losing great men and women in a torrent lately. He was a voice for millions who had their voices ripped away.
.
posted by GenjiandProust at 2:35 PM on July 2, 2016 [6 favorites]
.
posted by GenjiandProust at 2:35 PM on July 2, 2016 [6 favorites]
So it goes. . .
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 2:43 PM on July 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 2:43 PM on July 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
.
posted by Alexandra Michelle at 2:45 PM on July 2, 2016
posted by Alexandra Michelle at 2:45 PM on July 2, 2016
.
posted by mondo dentro at 2:52 PM on July 2, 2016
posted by mondo dentro at 2:52 PM on July 2, 2016
.
posted by The Ardship of Cambry at 2:53 PM on July 2, 2016
posted by The Ardship of Cambry at 2:53 PM on July 2, 2016
RIP.
posted by jonmc at 2:57 PM on July 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by jonmc at 2:57 PM on July 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
.
posted by SillyShepherd at 3:04 PM on July 2, 2016
posted by SillyShepherd at 3:04 PM on July 2, 2016
.
posted by Existential Dread at 3:08 PM on July 2, 2016
posted by Existential Dread at 3:08 PM on July 2, 2016
.
posted by palmcorder_yajna at 3:13 PM on July 2, 2016
posted by palmcorder_yajna at 3:13 PM on July 2, 2016
.
posted by mixedmetaphors at 3:14 PM on July 2, 2016
posted by mixedmetaphors at 3:14 PM on July 2, 2016
.
posted by lalochezia at 3:23 PM on July 2, 2016
posted by lalochezia at 3:23 PM on July 2, 2016
.
posted by Smart Dalek at 3:32 PM on July 2, 2016
posted by Smart Dalek at 3:32 PM on July 2, 2016
.
posted by Joey Michaels at 3:38 PM on July 2, 2016
posted by Joey Michaels at 3:38 PM on July 2, 2016
I saw him speak at the U of MN when I was 18 or 19. Really influenced the way I look at the world and how I treat people. What an amazing person.
.
posted by Bacon Bit at 3:47 PM on July 2, 2016 [2 favorites]
.
posted by Bacon Bit at 3:47 PM on July 2, 2016 [2 favorites]
.
posted by Sheydem-tants at 3:53 PM on July 2, 2016
posted by Sheydem-tants at 3:53 PM on July 2, 2016
.
posted by smangosbubbles at 3:53 PM on July 2, 2016
posted by smangosbubbles at 3:53 PM on July 2, 2016
.
posted by Pope Guilty at 3:54 PM on July 2, 2016
posted by Pope Guilty at 3:54 PM on July 2, 2016
.
posted by Joe in Australia at 4:07 PM on July 2, 2016
posted by Joe in Australia at 4:07 PM on July 2, 2016
.
posted by danabanana at 4:09 PM on July 2, 2016
posted by danabanana at 4:09 PM on July 2, 2016
When I die
If you need to weep
Cry for someone
Walking the street beside you.
You can love me most by letting
Hands touch hands, and Souls touch souls.
You can love me most by
Sharing your Simchas (goodness) and
Multiplying your Mitzvot (acts of kindness).
You can love me most by
Letting me live in your eyes
And not on your mind.
And when you say Kaddish for me
Remember what our
Torah teaches,
Love doesn’t die People do.
So when all that’s left of me is love
Give me away.
"When All That's Left Is Love" by Rabbi Allen S. Maller
.
posted by 4ster at 4:14 PM on July 2, 2016 [22 favorites]
If you need to weep
Cry for someone
Walking the street beside you.
You can love me most by letting
Hands touch hands, and Souls touch souls.
You can love me most by
Sharing your Simchas (goodness) and
Multiplying your Mitzvot (acts of kindness).
You can love me most by
Letting me live in your eyes
And not on your mind.
And when you say Kaddish for me
Remember what our
Torah teaches,
Love doesn’t die People do.
So when all that’s left of me is love
Give me away.
"When All That's Left Is Love" by Rabbi Allen S. Maller
.
posted by 4ster at 4:14 PM on July 2, 2016 [22 favorites]
He was a true humanitarian, in that he gave of the Knowledge and greatly of himself. R.I.P.
.
posted by Seekerofsplendor at 4:20 PM on July 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
.
posted by Seekerofsplendor at 4:20 PM on July 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
"Man, as long as he lives, is immortal. One minute before his death he shall be immortal. But one minute later, God wins. "
.
posted by anastasiav at 4:48 PM on July 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
.
posted by anastasiav at 4:48 PM on July 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
May his memory be a blessing.
posted by The Wrong Kind of Cheese at 5:04 PM on July 2, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by The Wrong Kind of Cheese at 5:04 PM on July 2, 2016 [2 favorites]
.
I feel pretty sad about this. I was one of those high school students who barely read any of the assigned reading because I hated it all, but when we were assigned to read "Night", I read it all the first day I got my hands on it, because I couldn't put it down. It was the first time I really learned about WWII and the Holocaust. RIP.
posted by FireFountain at 5:08 PM on July 2, 2016 [2 favorites]
I feel pretty sad about this. I was one of those high school students who barely read any of the assigned reading because I hated it all, but when we were assigned to read "Night", I read it all the first day I got my hands on it, because I couldn't put it down. It was the first time I really learned about WWII and the Holocaust. RIP.
posted by FireFountain at 5:08 PM on July 2, 2016 [2 favorites]
He was the best of us: proof that sometimes we can be as good as we ought to be.
.
posted by wenestvedt at 5:28 PM on July 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
.
posted by wenestvedt at 5:28 PM on July 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
He spoke at my middle school. I remember being blown away by both the tragedy of his experience and the generosity of his knowledge.
Rest in power.
posted by pxe2000 at 5:29 PM on July 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
Rest in power.
posted by pxe2000 at 5:29 PM on July 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
.
posted by gusandrews at 5:35 PM on July 2, 2016
posted by gusandrews at 5:35 PM on July 2, 2016
.
posted by Rufous-headed Towhee heehee at 5:47 PM on July 2, 2016
posted by Rufous-headed Towhee heehee at 5:47 PM on July 2, 2016
We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere. ~ From Nobel Peace Prize Speech, December 10, 1986
posted by pjsky at 6:19 PM on July 2, 2016 [13 favorites]
posted by pjsky at 6:19 PM on July 2, 2016 [13 favorites]
.
posted by tuesdayschild at 6:31 PM on July 2, 2016
posted by tuesdayschild at 6:31 PM on July 2, 2016
Rest well, sir. And please, let us not forget.
posted by Capt. Renault at 6:31 PM on July 2, 2016
posted by Capt. Renault at 6:31 PM on July 2, 2016
Being Jewish, I've heard about the Holocaust ever since I was a little kid. But reading Night in the early 80's is what made me really understand what it was, and what it means to be Jewish. I've been lucky enough to know several Survivors personally, and I'm always a little overwhelmed with emotions when I talk to them.
.
.
.
.
.
posted by MexicanYenta at 7:14 PM on July 2, 2016 [3 favorites]
.
.
.
.
.
posted by MexicanYenta at 7:14 PM on July 2, 2016 [3 favorites]
.
posted by killy willy at 7:39 PM on July 2, 2016
posted by killy willy at 7:39 PM on July 2, 2016
.
If he were the only Great Man to die in 2016, it would still be a sad year. That he is one of many makes it so much sadder.
posted by oneswellfoop at 8:08 PM on July 2, 2016 [2 favorites]
If he were the only Great Man to die in 2016, it would still be a sad year. That he is one of many makes it so much sadder.
posted by oneswellfoop at 8:08 PM on July 2, 2016 [2 favorites]
.
posted by hollyholly at 8:22 PM on July 2, 2016
posted by hollyholly at 8:22 PM on July 2, 2016
I had to read and study one of his books before I started University. Then he spoke during our orientation. I didn't have a clue who he was. Thankfully after four years at said University I do.
.
posted by MarvinTheCat at 8:28 PM on July 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
.
posted by MarvinTheCat at 8:28 PM on July 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
.
posted by Become A Silhouette at 8:53 PM on July 2, 2016
posted by Become A Silhouette at 8:53 PM on July 2, 2016
.
posted by vespertine at 10:20 PM on July 2, 2016
posted by vespertine at 10:20 PM on July 2, 2016
.
It's been an emotional day for other reasons, but even after losing Bowie and so many others this year, I'm reading through the tributes and have tears streaming down my face that I can't quite explain.
This guy mattered. May we all be as impactful, if more fortunate.
Ouch.
posted by iffthen at 12:09 AM on July 3, 2016 [1 favorite]
It's been an emotional day for other reasons, but even after losing Bowie and so many others this year, I'm reading through the tributes and have tears streaming down my face that I can't quite explain.
This guy mattered. May we all be as impactful, if more fortunate.
Ouch.
posted by iffthen at 12:09 AM on July 3, 2016 [1 favorite]
From about a month ago:
Newly Unearthed Version of Elie Wiesel's Seminal Work Is a Scathing Indictment of God, Jewish World
posted by Joe in Australia at 12:46 AM on July 3, 2016 [3 favorites]
Newly Unearthed Version of Elie Wiesel's Seminal Work Is a Scathing Indictment of God, Jewish World
posted by Joe in Australia at 12:46 AM on July 3, 2016 [3 favorites]
.
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 2:30 AM on July 3, 2016
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 2:30 AM on July 3, 2016
✡
posted by Faint of Butt at 5:06 AM on July 3, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by Faint of Butt at 5:06 AM on July 3, 2016 [2 favorites]
.
I first heard of Wiesel when I read Night for a class in college. Until then the only parts of WWII I knew about were the heroic American victories. I lost a lot of sleep over that one.
For those interested, the 92nd Street Y channel on Youtube has over 70 lectures, interviews, and conversations with Wiesel.
posted by JohnFromGR at 5:35 AM on July 3, 2016 [6 favorites]
I first heard of Wiesel when I read Night for a class in college. Until then the only parts of WWII I knew about were the heroic American victories. I lost a lot of sleep over that one.
For those interested, the 92nd Street Y channel on Youtube has over 70 lectures, interviews, and conversations with Wiesel.
posted by JohnFromGR at 5:35 AM on July 3, 2016 [6 favorites]
.
posted by cotton dress sock at 7:54 AM on July 3, 2016
posted by cotton dress sock at 7:54 AM on July 3, 2016
.
posted by cmfletcher at 8:24 PM on July 3, 2016
posted by cmfletcher at 8:24 PM on July 3, 2016
.
posted by hap_hazard at 10:09 PM on July 3, 2016
posted by hap_hazard at 10:09 PM on July 3, 2016
.
posted by scaryblackdeath at 10:52 PM on July 3, 2016
posted by scaryblackdeath at 10:52 PM on July 3, 2016
I lost my faith after reading Night. I will never forget you, Mr. Wiesel.
.
posted by dawkins_7 at 7:29 AM on July 4, 2016
.
posted by dawkins_7 at 7:29 AM on July 4, 2016
.
posted by supermassive at 3:36 PM on July 4, 2016
posted by supermassive at 3:36 PM on July 4, 2016
.
posted by LobsterMitten at 4:29 PM on July 4, 2016
posted by LobsterMitten at 4:29 PM on July 4, 2016
.
posted by pemberkins at 12:05 PM on July 5, 2016
posted by pemberkins at 12:05 PM on July 5, 2016
« Older Track Changes | “Her phone chimed; a text from Donald. I’m leading... Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by inconsequentialist at 1:11 PM on July 2, 2016