Elie Wiesel at age 15
Elie Wiesel
Elie Wiesel at age 15
Early Life:
On September 30, 1928 Elie Wiesel was born in the small village of
Sighet, Transylvania in an area owned by both Hungary and Romania.
His real name was Eliezer, but he went by Elie. He was well educated
in Hebrew studies of his sect of Judaism, Hassidic. He lived in Sighet
for fifteen years untill his town was taken taken over by the Nazi's in
1944. He lived with his mother and father and three sisters Tzipora(youngest),
Bea(middle), Hilda(oldest). Elie was able to speak many languages
including Yiddish at home and at his father's grocery he would speak Hungarian,
Ukranian, and many other languages.
In 1944 Elie and neigboring Jewish friends in his family were sent
to Auschwitz. At the camp he was separated from his mother and sisters,
but remained with his father, Chlomo, for another year. However,
in the later years of the war Elie's father died and his mother and youngest
sister both all in the gas chambers. He and his two older sisters,
Bea and Hilda, survived the Holocaust.
During his years in Nazi captivity he moved from Buna, Buchenwald, and
Gliewitz. He traveled by train carts and other small cars or just
by walking. After the war ended in 1945, he lived three years in
an orphanage until he went to study literature, philosophy, and psychology
in 1948 in Sorbonne.
He later became a journalist for
a French newspaper. He continued to write small pieces of writing,
but never wrote about his times in the Holocaust. He was influenced
by Nobel laureate Francois Mauriac to write about his experiences in the
Holocaust.
In 1956, while doing a report for the French news, Elie Wiesel was involved
in a motor vehicle accident in New York. After he recovered he had
lost his pass given to him for traveling by the press. He then decided
to try and apply for US citizenship. In the US he began writing stories
of his experience in the Holocaust. His first book was 900 pages
and written in Yiddish. He later shortened the book and published
it and called it La Nuit (Night) published in 1958 written in French.
It took several years before the book was switched to English. At
first the book did not sell very well, but today it is one of the most
read books about the Holocaust today. For his accomplishments he
was awarded many awards including the Congressional Gold Medal of Achievement
and the Nobel Peace Prize.
Life Today:
Today Elie lives in New York with his wife and son, Elisha. He
is 73 years old and still alive. His book Night is probably
the most read book about the Holocaust. Today he has published over
40 books. He has worked as Proffesors at various universities such
as Boston University, Yale, and New York State college. He is still
alive today and often visits these Universities and does some lectures
of the Holocaust and his experiences. His information about the Holocaust
has informed many people and have allowed them to see how terrible it was
during that time.