Elie Wiesel

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Elie Wiesel was born Eliezer Wiesel on September 30, 1928, in the town of Sighet, located in the region of Transylvania. He grew up in a close-knit Jewish community, deeply rooted in religious tradition and Hasidic spirituality. His maternal grandfather was a strong religious influence, and his father emphasized the importance of both religious and secular learning. At home, Wiesel studied the Torah, Talmud, and Jewish mysticism, showing deep devotion from a young age. His family spoke Yiddish, Hungarian, Romanian, and German, reflecting the multicultural world in which they lived. His upbringing was steeped in Jewish identity, which would shape his life’s work. 

In 1944, at the age of fifteen, Wiesel and his family were deported to the Auschwitz concentration camp during the Holocaust. His mother and younger sister were murdered, and he was later transferred to Buchenwald with his father, who died shortly before the camp was liberated. After the war, Wiesel moved to France, became a journalist, and later immigrated to the United States. In 1956, he published his most famous work, Night, a memoir of his Holocaust experience. The book has since become one of the most important and widely read accounts of the Holocaust. Wiesel went on to write more than 50 books, blending storytelling, history, ethics, and faith. He also became a respected university professor and lecturer. 

Elie Wiesel became one of the world’s leading voices for Holocaust remembrance, human rights, and moral responsibility. In 1986, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to combat violence, repression, and racism. He played a key role in establishing the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and used his influence to speak out against injustices worldwide — including in Bosnia, Rwanda, Darfur, and South Africa. His moral philosophy emphasized the dangers of silence and indifference. Through his writing and advocacy, Wiesel challenged future generations to remember the past, take moral action in the present, and never allow hate to triumph.  

• Survivor of Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps
   
• Author of Night, one of the most influential Holocaust memoirs
   
• Recipient of the 1986 Nobel Peace Prize
   
• Advocate for human rights and global justice
   
• Founding figure of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum
   
• Founder of the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity
   
• University professor and lecturer on ethics, memory, and faith
   
• Outspoken against genocide and human suffering worldwide 

• Elie Wiesel was born in ________ (Sighet).
   
• His most famous book is called ________ (Night).
   
• He received the ________ Peace Prize in 1986.
   
• Wiesel’s father and grandfather were both strong ________ influences in his life.
   
• He helped create the U.S. ________ Memorial Museum.

 Use the following words to create a word search activity (teacher or student printable):

• Sighet
   
• Auschwitz
   
• Night
   
• Nobel
   
• Memory
   
• Indifference
   
• Humanity
   
• Foundation
   
• Witness
   
• Justice
   

Encourage students to pick two words and write a few sentences about why they are important to Elie Wiesel’s life and legacy.