"I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere. When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivities become irrelevant. Whenever men and women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must- at that moment- become the center of the universe."
-Elie Wiesel
-Elie Wiesel
Due to his, "commitment to human dignity and his efforts against the forces of repression worldwide," the 1986 Noble Peace Prize was awarded to Eliezer Wiese. Wiesel is not only known for living through the holocaust, he has reached out to people around the world with his many writings and speeches translated in many languages. He has always remained optimistic, making sure that we remain at peace even though the hatred may try to take over. Wiesel continues to be an asset to our world, never letting go of his past but allowing those memories to come in to better inform his audience, men, women, and children alike that peace triumphs over hatred. Everyone needs to take a step back, and look at the bigger picture. If we go on hating people, nothing will get resolved. If we keep fighting, we will only end up hurting ourselves even more. We need to be the stronger link, and push for peace. In the long run our lives, along with our children, and their children will benefit with a new friendship that will hopefully last a lifetime. I'm not saying that it's an easy thing. Many people were hurt not only physically but emotionally, that is something you can't just erase. Wiesel lifted his head from the deep water and conquered what many people may not have been able to do. Today he continues to strive for what he believes in, peace and humanity.
Born September 30th, 1928 in Sighet, Transylvania (now Romania), Wiesel grew up in a traditional Jewish family. It was during World War 2 that his once happy family was torn apart. In 1944 Wiesel along with his mother, father, and three sisters were deported to Hitler’s Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland, where he was branded with his new name, A 7713. It was there that he said his last goodbyes to his mother and sisters, who were sent straight to the gas chambers. It wasn't until after the war that he found out that his two older sisters had survived. In 1945 Wiesel and his father were taken to the Buchenwald concentration camp in Germany. There his father perished just shortly before the camp was liberated on April 11, 1945. Wiesel will never forget the horrid memories he witnessed those long two years. The inhuman killing of individuals like his mother and sister in the gas chambers. The senseless killing of the babies thrown alive into ditches. To keep his sanity, he tried to convince himself that they were already gone. He also witnessed people digging trenches that would soon enough be their own graves. To this day these memories still haunt his dreams.
Wiesel traveled to France, hoping to start a new life. While in France, Wiesel learnt French and was accepted to Sorbonne where he studied journalism. Wiesel's profession as a journalist eventually leads him to French poet and Nobel prizewinner, Francois Mauriac, who inspires Wiesel to start writing about his experiences. Fairly quickly Wiesel begins writing his books and continues on as a journalist. Later, Wiesel came to the United States as a journalist; from there he became a correspondent with the New York Jewish paper. In 1963 Wiesel received his American citizenship. He never let his memories, though horrific, fade. Wiesel set out to make a difference, to tell his story along with the stories of the millions of other Jewish people that did not make it to the end.
On coming to the United States, I really don’t think that Wiesel knew how much of an impact he would end up giving. He never gave up, always speaking on behalf of both sides. When he came here to start a new life as a journalist, he got much much more. He continued to study and eventually became a professor at City College in New York, along with a professorship in humanities at Boston University. Wiesel has also become the United States leader of American Holocaust Commission, were he continues to fight for what he believes is right. Through the years, thanks to support from Mauriac, Wiesel has written many internationally acclaimed books, such as Night, Against Silence, and Twilight, and given many speeches. All of his works continue to speak out about his life and the hardships he has been through to get to where he is now, a devoted spokesman for peace and humanity.
"I must confess that I do not know, or no longer know, what I wanted to achieve with my words. I only know that without this testimony, my life as a writer-or my life, period- would not have become what it is: that of a witness who believes he has a moral obligation to try to prevent the enemy from enjoying one last victory by allowing his crimes to be erased from human memory," said Wiesel, "Convinced that this period in history would be judged one day, I knew that I must bear witness for the dead and for the living."
Due to Wiesel’s hard work and dedication, "he has been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States of America Congressional Gold Medal, the French Legion of Honor, and the 1968 Nobel Peace Prize," as stated above. But none of these awards would be possible if this man would not have made it like so many others didn't. These awards were not given to Wiesel for surviving that torment and anguish that he suffered through, it was for his work as a peace activist. He continues to stay strong even through the roughest of times, making sure that no one will forget the past. The millions of Jewish people that had their futures taken from them will not be forgotten.
