Elie Wiesel was born September 30th, 1928 in Sighet, a town in modern day Romania. He was born to a jewish hasidic family and spoke Yiddish in their home. Elie had three sisters, Hilda, Beatrice, and Tzipora. Elie studied both Talmud teachings and Kabbalah in his childhood. In 1940, when Elie was fifteen, his whole family was deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau. He and his father managed to stay together through the “selection” period. In line to the selection of either work or cremation in the camp was the last time Elie ever saw his mother and sister Tzipora. Elie and his father managed eight cruel months before on January 29, 1945 Elie’s father from dysentery, starvation, and exhaustion. Elie survived until April 11th, 1945, when his concentration
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Wiesel lived in a French orphanage until 1948 and then moved to Paris to study. He began to write for many French and Yiddish newspapers. He met Nobel laureate Francois Mauriac and Nobel convinced him to break his vow of silence and write of the horrors he witnessed. Wiesel first wrote the 900-page memoir Un di velt hot geshvign (And the World Remained Silent) in Yiddish, and is seen as a more cynical view toward the Nazis than Night. Wiesel rewrote a shortened version of the memoir in French, La Nuit, and later translated into English as Night. Wiesel had trouble finding a publisher for his book and initially it sold only a few copies. In 1955, Elie and his two sisters who survived the war, Hilda and Beatrice, moved to the United States. There Elie met Marion, his wife. Elie has written over 56 works in several languages. He was given the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986 for his speaking out against violence, repression, and racism. He has received other honors for his work, including the Congressional Gold Medal in 1985, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and The International Center in New York's Award of Excellence. Today he is 86 and is a chairman for many foundations and
Wiesel lived in a French orphanage until 1948 and then moved to Paris to study. He began to write for many French and Yiddish newspapers. He met Nobel laureate Francois Mauriac and Nobel convinced him to break his vow of silence and write of the horrors he witnessed. Wiesel first wrote the 900-page memoir Un di velt hot geshvign (And the World Remained Silent) in Yiddish, and is seen as a more cynical view toward the Nazis than Night. Wiesel rewrote a shortened version of the memoir in French, La Nuit, and later translated into English as Night. Wiesel had trouble finding a publisher for his book and initially it sold only a few copies. In 1955, Elie and his two sisters who survived the war, Hilda and Beatrice, moved to the United States. There Elie met Marion, his wife. Elie has written over 56 works in several languages. He was given the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986 for his speaking out against violence, repression, and racism. He has received other honors for his work, including the Congressional Gold Medal in 1985, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and The International Center in New York's Award of Excellence. Today he is 86 and is a chairman for many foundations and