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Elie Wiesel Prelomiť mlčanie
"Ako je možné, že napriek všetkej bolesti a sklamaniam, ktoré poznačili jeho pozoruhodný život, Elieho nepohltila temnota a nezatienila ho pred slnkom?"
Samantha Power, veľvyslankyňa USA pri OSN, v prejave pri spomienke na Elieho Wiesela 1. decembra 2016
Ako svedok a obeť tragédie v Osvienčime podal Elie Wiesel (1928 – 2016) v memoároch Noc mimoriadne silnú výpoveď o hrôzach holokaustu. Ako sa tento krehký a nenápadný spisovateľ z karpatského mestečka stal takým vplyvným aktérom na svetovej scéne? Joseph Berger sa pokúša zodpovedať túto otázkou prostredníctvom rozhovorov s jeho priateľmi, vedcami, kritikmi, ale aj pomocou jeho literárnej tvorby.
Tí, ktorí Wiesela dobre poznali, vedeli, aký je hlboko ľudský a prirodzený. Rád spieval, s priateľmi si nôtil chasidské piesne, s ktorými vyrastal vo svojom rodisku v rumunskom Sighete, a neváhal sa pridať k divokým chasidským svadobným tancom. Svetového úspechu sa dočkal pomerne neskoro. Po štyridsiatke pracoval ako novinár na voľnej nohe pre francúzske a izraelské noviny, no ledva vládal platiť nájom, a keď sa chcel slušne najesť, niekedy sa musel spoľahnúť na priateľov. Wiesel bol zložitý človek. Mal citlivé ego, pre ktoré niekedy ťažko znášal prácu v skupinách, akou bola rada, ktorá vo Washingtone založila Americké múzeum holokaustu. V roku 1986 získal Nobelovu cenu za mier, pretože bol pre ľudstvo poslom, ktorý tlmočí odkaz mieru, pokánia, ľudskej dôstojnosti a ťažko nadobudnutej viery.
Elie Wiesel však nebol len vlajkonosičom preživších holokaust. Stal sa najobdivovanejším ambasádorom židovskej viery na svete a hlasom svedomia mnohých miest, kde sa pošliapavali ľudské práva. Svoj odkaz rozšíril, aby upozornil aj na iné genocídy a varoval, že svet sa z holokaustu nepoučil a ľudstvo sa stále nezbavilo etnickej nenávisti, prenasledovania zraniteľných menšín a masového násilia.
Samantha Power, veľvyslankyňa USA pri OSN, v prejave pri spomienke na Elieho Wiesela 1. decembra 2016
Ako svedok a obeť tragédie v Osvienčime podal Elie Wiesel (1928 – 2016) v memoároch Noc mimoriadne silnú výpoveď o hrôzach holokaustu. Ako sa tento krehký a nenápadný spisovateľ z karpatského mestečka stal takým vplyvným aktérom na svetovej scéne? Joseph Berger sa pokúša zodpovedať túto otázkou prostredníctvom rozhovorov s jeho priateľmi, vedcami, kritikmi, ale aj pomocou jeho literárnej tvorby.
Tí, ktorí Wiesela dobre poznali, vedeli, aký je hlboko ľudský a prirodzený. Rád spieval, s priateľmi si nôtil chasidské piesne, s ktorými vyrastal vo svojom rodisku v rumunskom Sighete, a neváhal sa pridať k divokým chasidským svadobným tancom. Svetového úspechu sa dočkal pomerne neskoro. Po štyridsiatke pracoval ako novinár na voľnej nohe pre francúzske a izraelské noviny, no ledva vládal platiť nájom, a keď sa chcel slušne najesť, niekedy sa musel spoľahnúť na priateľov. Wiesel bol zložitý človek. Mal citlivé ego, pre ktoré niekedy ťažko znášal prácu v skupinách, akou bola rada, ktorá vo Washingtone založila Americké múzeum holokaustu. V roku 1986 získal Nobelovu cenu za mier, pretože bol pre ľudstvo poslom, ktorý tlmočí odkaz mieru, pokánia, ľudskej dôstojnosti a ťažko nadobudnutej viery.
Elie Wiesel však nebol len vlajkonosičom preživších holokaust. Stal sa najobdivovanejším ambasádorom židovskej viery na svete a hlasom svedomia mnohých miest, kde sa pošliapavali ľudské práva. Svoj odkaz rozšíril, aby upozornil aj na iné genocídy a varoval, že svet sa z holokaustu nepoučil a ľudstvo sa stále nezbavilo etnickej nenávisti, prenasledovania zraniteľných menšín a masového násilia.
328 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2024
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152 people want to read
About the author
Joseph Berger
62 books9 followersJoseph Berger was a reporter, editor and columnist with The New York Times from 1984 to 2015 and continues writing periodically for The Times as well as teaching urban affairs at the City University of New York. In 2011, he won the Peter Kihss Award given for a career’s work by the Silurians Press Club, New York City’s leading association of journalists. He was a religion correspondent from 1985 to 1987, covering the Pope’s trip to 10 American cities in nine days, and national education correspondent from 1987 to 1990, a period when American school curricula were under attack as too European-focused. From 1990 until 1993, he covered New York City’s schools and colleges, when there were bitter controversies over condom distribution and AIDS instruction. He was the recipient of the 1993 Education Writers Association award for exposing abuses in bilingual education. In September 1999, he was appointed deputy education editor where, among other stories, he directed coverage of the firing of one chancellor and the search for another, the dramatic changes in bilingual education and a series on the first-year of a new teacher.
He wrote a biweekly national column for the Times’ education page as well as columns for the regional editions. An immigrant himself, he spent three years as a kind of roving correspondent to New York neighborhoods, writing feature articles about the ethnic and cultural richness of the city that became the core of two books, “The World in a City” and “The Pious Ones.” Most recently, he chronicled the building of a new Tappan Zee Bridge, the first major bridge built in the New York area in half a century, in an occasional Times series.
Prior to joining the Times, Mr. Berger worked as Newsday’s religion writer, where he three times won the Supple Award given by the Religion Newswriters Association, its highest honor. Mr. Berger also worked at The New York Post, covering such assignments as the 1973 Middle East War and Watergate. From 1967 to 1971, he was an English teacher at a Bronx junior high school.
Berger is the author of “Displaced Persons: Growing Up American After the Holocaust,” which was published by Scribner in April 2001 and is a memoir about his family’s experience as refugees in New York in the 1950s and 1960s. The book was chosen as a notable book of the year by The New York Times, which called it ”an extraordinary memoir” and was praised by Elie Wiesel as a “powerful and sweetly melancholic memoir, brilliantly written.” There have been excellent reviews as well in the Boston Globe, Washington Post and the Chicago Tribune. Berger’s first book was “The Young Scientists,” a study of the country’s top science high schools and their students, published by Addison Wesley in 1993.
Berger was born in Russia in 1945, spent the postwar years in D.P. camps in Germany and, after immigrating here, grew up in Manhattan and the Bronx. He is a graduate of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, City College and the Bronx High School of Science. He lives in Westchester County with his wife, Brenda, a clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst. Their daughter, Annie, a graduate of Northwestern University, is a senior editor for young adult books at Sourcebooks.
He wrote a biweekly national column for the Times’ education page as well as columns for the regional editions. An immigrant himself, he spent three years as a kind of roving correspondent to New York neighborhoods, writing feature articles about the ethnic and cultural richness of the city that became the core of two books, “The World in a City” and “The Pious Ones.” Most recently, he chronicled the building of a new Tappan Zee Bridge, the first major bridge built in the New York area in half a century, in an occasional Times series.
Prior to joining the Times, Mr. Berger worked as Newsday’s religion writer, where he three times won the Supple Award given by the Religion Newswriters Association, its highest honor. Mr. Berger also worked at The New York Post, covering such assignments as the 1973 Middle East War and Watergate. From 1967 to 1971, he was an English teacher at a Bronx junior high school.
Berger is the author of “Displaced Persons: Growing Up American After the Holocaust,” which was published by Scribner in April 2001 and is a memoir about his family’s experience as refugees in New York in the 1950s and 1960s. The book was chosen as a notable book of the year by The New York Times, which called it ”an extraordinary memoir” and was praised by Elie Wiesel as a “powerful and sweetly melancholic memoir, brilliantly written.” There have been excellent reviews as well in the Boston Globe, Washington Post and the Chicago Tribune. Berger’s first book was “The Young Scientists,” a study of the country’s top science high schools and their students, published by Addison Wesley in 1993.
Berger was born in Russia in 1945, spent the postwar years in D.P. camps in Germany and, after immigrating here, grew up in Manhattan and the Bronx. He is a graduate of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, City College and the Bronx High School of Science. He lives in Westchester County with his wife, Brenda, a clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst. Their daughter, Annie, a graduate of Northwestern University, is a senior editor for young adult books at Sourcebooks.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
June 3, 2024
Very solid biography and you can tell the author put a lot of effort into doing a biography on a great man like Wiesel justice. I deducted a star because of the end, where the author seemed to gripe about the politics of some of the people Wiesel associated with at the end of his life. In spite of that, I really recommend the book.
Edit: Read it a second time as part of a Jewish study group and liked the book a lot better. Five stars.
Edit: Read it a second time as part of a Jewish study group and liked the book a lot better. Five stars.
June 21, 2023
Before I turn to my review of Joseph Berger’s latest work, ELIE WIESEL: CONFRONTING THE SILENCE I must put forth a disclaimer concerning the subject. First, my father’s side of the family lived north of Krakow, Poland before World War II about two hours from Auschwitz. Some were fortunate and left before the war and went to Palestine, France, and the United States. The majority did not and perished in the gas chambers. This has always brought me to an uncomfortable place having been educated in an orthodox Yeshiva in Brooklyn and grown up with children of survivors. Where was God? How could he allow his people to be slaughtered? Why didn’t he answer their prayers? After the Holocaust how could I remain a believer? In the 1970s I turned to the works of Elie Wiesel, beginning with NIGHT and continuing through most of his novels and his memoirs as they were published availing myself of the opportunity to be exposed to Wiesel’s wisdom, commentary on the horrors of the Holocaust, elements of Hasidic mysticism, Biblical portraits and other subject matter and came away with a deeper understanding of my emotions and values from a voice that was like no other. I sought answers, but to be honest on an intellectual level I remain in a quandary as to my belief system.
I consider myself very fortunate to have witnessed remarks by Wiesel in person two times during his quest to educate the American public on the dangers of racism, antisemitism, and the plight of refugees and persecuted people worldwide. First, at the Washington Hebrew Congregation in 1978, and later in 2008 at Boston University. After a twenty year gap in listening to Wiesel in public it appeared the man who the Nobel Prize Committee referred to as “a messenger to mankind,” had grown more pessimistic about the future.
Berger has written a powerful biography of Wiesel exploring his tortuous experiences as a victim of the Nazi Final Solution. He delves deep into a myriad of topics within the larger scope of Wiesel’s life story and intellectual journey integrating excerpts of his memoirs, novels, works of non-fiction, speeches, articles, teaching, and countless interviews from his boyhood in Sighet, Romania to evolving into the messenger or conscience of the Holocaust. The volume is not a traditional biography as once Wiesel is liberated from Buchenwald and makes his way to France the sense of chronology largely disappears, and Berger presents a series of chapters which in part can stand alone as separate essays. The volume includes important experiences apart from Auschwitz and Buchenwald to include becoming the voice of Soviet Jewry; his involvement and key role in the creation of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, taking “Hollywood” to task for its representation of the Holocaust; confronting the Reagan administration over its visit to the Bitburg cemetery where 49 members of the SS were buried, his work championing the plight of refugees, speaking out against apartheid; the plight of the Cambodian and Vietnamese people; and indigenous people in Central America; his approach to the academic classroom and teaching; and being awarded the Nobel Prize.
Berger’s work is more of an intellectual journey that Wiesel has undertaken his entire life. He has authored a penetrating portrait which focuses on a “frail, soft-spoken writer from a village in the Carpathian Mountains” who “became such an influential presence on the world stage.” Wiesel’s writing forms the back story for themes, arguments, and inner conflict as he tries to understand God’s role in the Holocaust, anger at the allies for doing nothing in terms of refugees and bombing the camps, along with his personal struggles to come to terms with what has happened to his family and the Jewish people. What comes across is a man who pulls no punches in educating all, including American presidents, Soviet government officials over its Babi Yar Memorial and refusal to allow Jews to emigrate, Hollywood moguls for its film representation of the Holocaust, his co-religionists, leaders of other faiths and almost anyone who he came in contact with.
Berger presents Wiesel’s honesty based on a deeply emotional and evocative intellect which is present for all to see and cherish. Many of Wiesel’s feelings stand out that he dealt with his entire life; from his anger at his father’s naivete in remaining in their Romanian village, and wrestling with his relationship to God concluding, “I have never renounced my faith in God. I have risen against His justice protested His silence, and sometimes His absence, but my anger rises up within faith and not outside it,” to a life-long bitterness at western allies for their lack of action to assist victims of the Holocaust during the war.
Berger presents numerous poignant scenes particularly how the son became the father of the in the camps as Elie tried to avoid death, or Wiesel’s own relationship with his son Elisha. Further, Wiesel’s issues with the fledgling Israeli government in the late 1940s and their negative attitude toward Holocaust survivors, his frustration with the publishing world over accepting NIGHT for publication as they argued that there was no market for the Holocaust after the war, and lecturing President Jimmy Carter about aspects of faith and how it related to survivors.
At times Berger is able to unmask the lyrical nature of Wiesel’s writing particularly when speaking of visiting a Moscow Synagogue while pressuring the Kremlin over its treatment of Jews. His book, JEWS OF SILENCE went a long way in obtaining the emigration of over 250,000 Soviet Jews in the 1970s. Another event that catapulted Wiesel on the world stage was the Six Day War and the resulting Israeli victory which created a new Jewish self-concept and a proliferation of new histories, novels, and films dealing with the Holocaust. It is at this time that Wiesel began to acquire the role of spokesman for his brethren. Applying his Talmudic education, his knowledge of Hasidic mysticism, and his biblical knowledge he was perfect for the task.
Perhaps one of the most important questions people have asked Wiesel concerns his writing. When asked, Why do I write? He responds, “Perhaps in order not to go mad. Or, on the contrary, to touch the bottom of madness….Not to transmit an experience is to betray it. I owe them [the dead] my roots and my memory. I am duty-bound to serve as their emissary, transmitting the history of their disappearance, even if it disturbs, even if it brings pain. Not to do so would be to betray them, and thus myself….To wrench those victims from oblivion. To help the dead vanquish death.”
Berger’s perceptive biography presents the humanity of Wiesel as he hid a lifetime of suicidal bouts, depression, agonizing cries tinged with haunted memories of the evisceration of his home village. Miraculously, Wiesel was able to overcome these issues with the help of his wife, Marion, who was a partner in his work to educate the world and create as Diane Cole writes in her recent Wall Street Journal review of Berger’s work, “a legacy that compels us to bear witness in his absence and continue to confront the silence.”
I consider myself very fortunate to have witnessed remarks by Wiesel in person two times during his quest to educate the American public on the dangers of racism, antisemitism, and the plight of refugees and persecuted people worldwide. First, at the Washington Hebrew Congregation in 1978, and later in 2008 at Boston University. After a twenty year gap in listening to Wiesel in public it appeared the man who the Nobel Prize Committee referred to as “a messenger to mankind,” had grown more pessimistic about the future.
Berger has written a powerful biography of Wiesel exploring his tortuous experiences as a victim of the Nazi Final Solution. He delves deep into a myriad of topics within the larger scope of Wiesel’s life story and intellectual journey integrating excerpts of his memoirs, novels, works of non-fiction, speeches, articles, teaching, and countless interviews from his boyhood in Sighet, Romania to evolving into the messenger or conscience of the Holocaust. The volume is not a traditional biography as once Wiesel is liberated from Buchenwald and makes his way to France the sense of chronology largely disappears, and Berger presents a series of chapters which in part can stand alone as separate essays. The volume includes important experiences apart from Auschwitz and Buchenwald to include becoming the voice of Soviet Jewry; his involvement and key role in the creation of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, taking “Hollywood” to task for its representation of the Holocaust; confronting the Reagan administration over its visit to the Bitburg cemetery where 49 members of the SS were buried, his work championing the plight of refugees, speaking out against apartheid; the plight of the Cambodian and Vietnamese people; and indigenous people in Central America; his approach to the academic classroom and teaching; and being awarded the Nobel Prize.
Berger’s work is more of an intellectual journey that Wiesel has undertaken his entire life. He has authored a penetrating portrait which focuses on a “frail, soft-spoken writer from a village in the Carpathian Mountains” who “became such an influential presence on the world stage.” Wiesel’s writing forms the back story for themes, arguments, and inner conflict as he tries to understand God’s role in the Holocaust, anger at the allies for doing nothing in terms of refugees and bombing the camps, along with his personal struggles to come to terms with what has happened to his family and the Jewish people. What comes across is a man who pulls no punches in educating all, including American presidents, Soviet government officials over its Babi Yar Memorial and refusal to allow Jews to emigrate, Hollywood moguls for its film representation of the Holocaust, his co-religionists, leaders of other faiths and almost anyone who he came in contact with.
Berger presents Wiesel’s honesty based on a deeply emotional and evocative intellect which is present for all to see and cherish. Many of Wiesel’s feelings stand out that he dealt with his entire life; from his anger at his father’s naivete in remaining in their Romanian village, and wrestling with his relationship to God concluding, “I have never renounced my faith in God. I have risen against His justice protested His silence, and sometimes His absence, but my anger rises up within faith and not outside it,” to a life-long bitterness at western allies for their lack of action to assist victims of the Holocaust during the war.
Berger presents numerous poignant scenes particularly how the son became the father of the in the camps as Elie tried to avoid death, or Wiesel’s own relationship with his son Elisha. Further, Wiesel’s issues with the fledgling Israeli government in the late 1940s and their negative attitude toward Holocaust survivors, his frustration with the publishing world over accepting NIGHT for publication as they argued that there was no market for the Holocaust after the war, and lecturing President Jimmy Carter about aspects of faith and how it related to survivors.
At times Berger is able to unmask the lyrical nature of Wiesel’s writing particularly when speaking of visiting a Moscow Synagogue while pressuring the Kremlin over its treatment of Jews. His book, JEWS OF SILENCE went a long way in obtaining the emigration of over 250,000 Soviet Jews in the 1970s. Another event that catapulted Wiesel on the world stage was the Six Day War and the resulting Israeli victory which created a new Jewish self-concept and a proliferation of new histories, novels, and films dealing with the Holocaust. It is at this time that Wiesel began to acquire the role of spokesman for his brethren. Applying his Talmudic education, his knowledge of Hasidic mysticism, and his biblical knowledge he was perfect for the task.
Perhaps one of the most important questions people have asked Wiesel concerns his writing. When asked, Why do I write? He responds, “Perhaps in order not to go mad. Or, on the contrary, to touch the bottom of madness….Not to transmit an experience is to betray it. I owe them [the dead] my roots and my memory. I am duty-bound to serve as their emissary, transmitting the history of their disappearance, even if it disturbs, even if it brings pain. Not to do so would be to betray them, and thus myself….To wrench those victims from oblivion. To help the dead vanquish death.”
Berger’s perceptive biography presents the humanity of Wiesel as he hid a lifetime of suicidal bouts, depression, agonizing cries tinged with haunted memories of the evisceration of his home village. Miraculously, Wiesel was able to overcome these issues with the help of his wife, Marion, who was a partner in his work to educate the world and create as Diane Cole writes in her recent Wall Street Journal review of Berger’s work, “a legacy that compels us to bear witness in his absence and continue to confront the silence.”
August 19, 2023
I think that it’s hard to capture Wiesel’s life and the human rights work that he dedicated his life to. He is probably most remembered for speaking out about the Holocaust, and ensuring that we never forget the atrocities that the Nazis perpetuated.
Fun fact: my mother was friends with his sister Beatrice, who lived in Montreal.
Fun fact: my mother was friends with his sister Beatrice, who lived in Montreal.
March 30, 2025
I just finished reading Elie Wiesel: Confronting the Silence by Joseph Berger, and I felt compelled to share my thoughts on this extraordinary man and the incredible legacy he left behind. Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor, philosopher, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and tireless advocate for human rights, dedicated his life to teaching others about the horrors of intolerance, the importance of memory, and the need to stand up against injustice.
What stood out most to me in this biography was how deeply human Wiesel was. Despite everything he endured, he didn’t just survive—he worked tirelessly to make sure others never forgot. He believed that remembering was essential to ensuring that we never repeat the mistakes of the past. His life’s work was dedicated to teaching, not just about the horrors of the Holocaust, but about the ongoing need to fight against the forces of hatred and oppression.
“For the dead and the living, we must bear witness.” – Elie Wiesel
In today’s world, Wiesel’s words feel more urgent than ever. As we face rising intolerance, political divisiveness, and human rights violations—including the treatment of immigrants and the erosion of civil rights—I find myself reflecting on his wisdom and teachings. How do we reconcile the inhumane treatment of people seeking refuge with the values we claim to uphold? How do we hold our leaders accountable when justice seems out of reach?
Wiesel always said, “The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference.” His insistence that we can never be silent in the face of injustice is something I carry with me every day, especially in these times when it feels like our collective humanity is under threat.
“There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.”
“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.”
These words hit home every time I read them, especially in light of today’s political climate. I find myself asking: what would Wiesel say about the way we treat the most vulnerable in our society today? How would he challenge us to act in the face of growing injustice?
I highly recommend reading Night or any of Wiesel’s works. His words are as powerful today as they were when he wrote them. For those who have read Wiesel’s works, I’d love to hear how his message resonates with you in today’s world. How can we carry forward his lessons in our own lives? How can we ensure that we do not remain indifferent to suffering and injustice?
Let’s keep this conversation alive—Wiesel’s voice is one that should continue to guide us in these trying times.
What stood out most to me in this biography was how deeply human Wiesel was. Despite everything he endured, he didn’t just survive—he worked tirelessly to make sure others never forgot. He believed that remembering was essential to ensuring that we never repeat the mistakes of the past. His life’s work was dedicated to teaching, not just about the horrors of the Holocaust, but about the ongoing need to fight against the forces of hatred and oppression.
“For the dead and the living, we must bear witness.” – Elie Wiesel
In today’s world, Wiesel’s words feel more urgent than ever. As we face rising intolerance, political divisiveness, and human rights violations—including the treatment of immigrants and the erosion of civil rights—I find myself reflecting on his wisdom and teachings. How do we reconcile the inhumane treatment of people seeking refuge with the values we claim to uphold? How do we hold our leaders accountable when justice seems out of reach?
Wiesel always said, “The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference.” His insistence that we can never be silent in the face of injustice is something I carry with me every day, especially in these times when it feels like our collective humanity is under threat.
“There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.”
“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.”
These words hit home every time I read them, especially in light of today’s political climate. I find myself asking: what would Wiesel say about the way we treat the most vulnerable in our society today? How would he challenge us to act in the face of growing injustice?
I highly recommend reading Night or any of Wiesel’s works. His words are as powerful today as they were when he wrote them. For those who have read Wiesel’s works, I’d love to hear how his message resonates with you in today’s world. How can we carry forward his lessons in our own lives? How can we ensure that we do not remain indifferent to suffering and injustice?
Let’s keep this conversation alive—Wiesel’s voice is one that should continue to guide us in these trying times.
December 21, 2024
The respected Eli Wiesel was a survivor, philosopher, professor, human rights activist, and author. During his life, he said that of all the titles people have used to describe him, he wanted to be known as a teacher.
If someone has the opportunity to read only one book about Eli Wiesel, I recommend this one. Berger did a good job writing a biography that crafted information from many sources into a concise and compelling book that is an enjoyable read. It would be excellent for a college course.
The author drew upon Weisel's written works, his newspaper articles and letters to the editor, interviews, and public speeches. Also included were people's observations of and conversations with Elie, his family, and many others. Some of his opinions were controversial and people reacted to them strongly.
I found it interesting to learn of the evolution of Weisel's thoughts about the way the Holocaust should be explained to others. At first, he was a purist and critical of some people's descriptions, saying that only a survivor could describe it. He was slow to accept film as a medium. But later he came to realize it was important that as many people as possible learn what happened during the Holocaust. He was part of the effort to create the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC. He also traveled the world bringing attention to victims of current (at the time) tragic situations.
If someone has the opportunity to read only one book about Eli Wiesel, I recommend this one. Berger did a good job writing a biography that crafted information from many sources into a concise and compelling book that is an enjoyable read. It would be excellent for a college course.
The author drew upon Weisel's written works, his newspaper articles and letters to the editor, interviews, and public speeches. Also included were people's observations of and conversations with Elie, his family, and many others. Some of his opinions were controversial and people reacted to them strongly.
I found it interesting to learn of the evolution of Weisel's thoughts about the way the Holocaust should be explained to others. At first, he was a purist and critical of some people's descriptions, saying that only a survivor could describe it. He was slow to accept film as a medium. But later he came to realize it was important that as many people as possible learn what happened during the Holocaust. He was part of the effort to create the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC. He also traveled the world bringing attention to victims of current (at the time) tragic situations.
June 11, 2023
This book is disappointing: superficial, it lacks knowledge of many of Elie Wiesel’s published writings in the original French and even in English translation--as well as his easily accessible recorded lectures. It is, furthermore, chock-full of errors in fact, misleading inferences, and skewed interpretations based on unreliable informants—and, regrettably, is missing other pivotal informants who were either not consulted or excluded from the book. A few examples of the many errors include: stating that in his early forties (the late 1960s) Wiesel was poor and unknown, when actually he had already published ten books, had received literary awards for them and was in high demand as a speaker; that Wiesel had composed a cantata, when actually he composed none but rather authored the libretti of two; that Wiesel gave up religious observance in Auschwitz, when actually Wiesel many times tells of regular Talmud study, prayer, and donning tefillin while in the concentration camp. The author of the biography tries to do justice to Wiesel’s breadth and depth of accomplishment, but the shortcomings cited above means the book falls far short of the mark.
August 22, 2023
Joseph Berger has written a concise and delightful biography of Elie Wiesel, drawing upon interviews with Wiesel's widow, Marion, and son, Elisha, as well as scores of friends and acquaintances. Berger vividly describes the seminal event of Wiesel's life -- surviving Auschwitz and Buchenwald -- and then allows Wiesel's voice and writings to describe his mission in life. Berger demystifies the "sainted" Wiesel, which would have been a relief to the subject. This book is a fitting companion to the well-regarded biography of Primo Levi by Ian Thomson. In fact, Wiesel's commentary on Levi's death demonstrates the brilliance of Wiesel's writing. Wiesel was the Messenger of the Holocaust, a role he welcomed over time, and deserved every accolade he received, including the Nobel Peace Prize. Berger's biography of Wiesel should be required reading in high school and college -- it is rare to read about a true giant who walked this Earth.
January 31, 2024
Brilliantly written, the material is organized so well that the reader travels along and learns more about Eli Wiesel, the boy, and the influences that created Eli Wiesel, the iconic representative of the 6 million murdered Jews; the chief mourner for the one and a half million murdered children. It is moving, often break your heart moving; but it is also illuminating and brain teasing and ethics challenging. What is right? Is there such a thing as an absolute right and wrong? You want to learn how this man could stand up and be counted on to say the exact right thing. He spoke a great orators can, but his were words that were painfully extracted from a tortured soul, from the deepest heart ache. Joe Berger brings us into Elie Wiesel's personal life, allows us to meet his best friends, and gives us the chance to fell like we know him. Read it. It is well written and will give you a really powerful read.
October 22, 2025
I haven't read biographies frequently, maybe ever. Many autobiographies though. It is much different getting someone else's perspective and summary on another's life. In this case, I think that Joseph Berger did a wonderful job capturing the massive amount that Elie Wiesel contributed to this world. I would recommend it to anyone who has read Night and is curious to hear more about how Elie spent his life.
The book is dense, which is testimony of how much he took on and accomplished; a champion to any human suffering at the hands of another, he held his beliefs against political pressure, powerful people, and societal pressure. It is inspiring simply to read about him, I can't imagine meeting him or being taught by him.
The book is dense, which is testimony of how much he took on and accomplished; a champion to any human suffering at the hands of another, he held his beliefs against political pressure, powerful people, and societal pressure. It is inspiring simply to read about him, I can't imagine meeting him or being taught by him.
December 11, 2023
“There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.”
“Whatever guilt, your grandfather may have had over the holocaust does not extend to you his granddaughter. We do not believe in collective punishment.”
“The zone of silence of one witness is often the unhealed screaming wound of another.” - Chapter 18
December 31, 2024
"Ľutujem vás," zhodnotil, "pretože svet, ktorý ešte nie je pripravený vás prijať, je plný hrôz, plný násilia, plný absurdity." Ako dodal, ešte nikdy nebola spoločnosť taká dehumanizovaná ako dnes - slová nič neznamenajú, a čo je ešte horšie, (..) Iži pôsobia dojmom pravdy".
Elie Wiesel, rok 1972
Elie Wiesel, rok 1972
August 4, 2023
An excellent biography of a very human Elie Wiesel
September 9, 2023
A remarkable tribute to this survivor, philosopher, professor, human rights activist, and author.
September 23, 2024
A worthy biography of a great man.
Want to read
January 20, 2025Finish Elie Wiesel’s trilogy first
September 3, 2023
After Elie Wiesel passed away, I read his Memoirs: All Rivers Run to the Sea. It turns out that Joseph Berger goes back over quite a bit of the material in that memoir (Wiesel wrote another memoir as well). Berger mentions a story that was in Wiesel's memoir and I found it to be amazing. Wiesel grew up in Sighet, a shetl in the Carpathian Mountains in Northern Romania. This is quite off the beaten path.
When Wiesel was young, the Viznitzer Rebbe visited the small town and met Elie. Privately, he told his mom that Elie will a great Jewish man, but neither you nor I will live to see this. This is truly an extraordinary prediction considering the odds were quite against Wiesel on the eve of World War II. He was transported to Auschwitz at a young age and only a small percentage of the Jews who were sent there survived. He had a remarkable life after surviving the camps. He wrote many books, including Night, one of the best first-hand accounts of Auschwitz, and he was an articulate spokesperson for survivors throughout his life. He also advocated for other people who were facing oppression.
What strikes me about this book is reading about the amazing life Wiesel led and all his accomplishments after the war ended. Plus, he was able to marry and have a son. It led me to think how the murder of six million Jews in World War II (along with other groups) meant these souls were not able share their talents and contributions with the world. The world lost an incredible number of rabbinical scholars, scientists, artists and many more wonderful souls. Not to mention how much larger the Jewish population would be today. Hopefully, Wiesel's memory and accomplishments will inspire other Jews (nonJews too) to follow in his footsteps as a Torah scholar, teacher, writer and advocate for ending injustice around the world.
When Wiesel was young, the Viznitzer Rebbe visited the small town and met Elie. Privately, he told his mom that Elie will a great Jewish man, but neither you nor I will live to see this. This is truly an extraordinary prediction considering the odds were quite against Wiesel on the eve of World War II. He was transported to Auschwitz at a young age and only a small percentage of the Jews who were sent there survived. He had a remarkable life after surviving the camps. He wrote many books, including Night, one of the best first-hand accounts of Auschwitz, and he was an articulate spokesperson for survivors throughout his life. He also advocated for other people who were facing oppression.
What strikes me about this book is reading about the amazing life Wiesel led and all his accomplishments after the war ended. Plus, he was able to marry and have a son. It led me to think how the murder of six million Jews in World War II (along with other groups) meant these souls were not able share their talents and contributions with the world. The world lost an incredible number of rabbinical scholars, scientists, artists and many more wonderful souls. Not to mention how much larger the Jewish population would be today. Hopefully, Wiesel's memory and accomplishments will inspire other Jews (nonJews too) to follow in his footsteps as a Torah scholar, teacher, writer and advocate for ending injustice around the world.
June 28, 2025
Joseph Berger obviously admired Elie Wiesel. Yet, the biography does not devolve into a place that is
without evaluation and gentle criticism. The pain of the trauma Wiesel experienced in the German concentration camp teaches many lessons that are worthy of reflection.
without evaluation and gentle criticism. The pain of the trauma Wiesel experienced in the German concentration camp teaches many lessons that are worthy of reflection.
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