The Life of Elie Wiesel Author of “Night”

Early Life Born in Sighet, Romania on September 30, Lived with his family –Father Schlomo –Mother Feig –3 sisters Hilda Bea Tzipora Sighet

Early Life Began religious Hebrew studies at an early age Also encouraged to concentrate on secular studies by his father Grew up speaking Yiddish at home, Hungarian, Romanian, and German in the community

After the War Lived in an orphanage until 1948 Faced with a pivotal choice Studied at preparatory schools for a few years in France Studied literature, philosophy, and psychology at the Sorbonne in Paris.

After the War Author of more than forty books –Night –A Beggar in Jerusalem Winner of the Prix Médicis –Dawn –The Accident –All Rivers Run to the Sea

After the War 1976 –Appointed Chairman of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council 1985 –Congressional Medal of Freedom 1986 –Nobel Peace Prize Professor of Huanities at Boston University since 1976

Family removed from Sighet in 1944 –Deported by Nazis –Elie was 15 Shoved like “cattle’ into a train

Auschwitz-Birkenau First camp the Wiezel’s were moved to Feig and Tzipora gassed on the first night At least 1,200,000-4,000,000 executed from Up to 20,000 gassed and cremated each day

Auschwitz-Birkenau Survivors in 1945 One of the mass graves at Auschwitz

Buchenwald Elie and his father moved there in 1945 Father died days before liberation Liberated April 11, children rescued including Elie 56,545 dead

Buchenwald

Holocaust Concentration, Labor, and Extermination camps set up by the Nazis Deaths of Jews, Roma and Sinti, Soviet prisoners of war, along with slave laborers, gay men, Jehovah's Witnesses, the disabled, and political opponents 9,000,000 – 11,000,000 dead

Holocaust