Elie Wiesel Dies at Age 87, but His Voice Will Continue to be Heard

Although Elie Wiesel never lived in Israel, Israelis considered the Nobel Peace Prize recipient and writer as one of their own. He is considered the world’s “most famous” Holocaust survivor.

Elie Wiesel was 15 years old when he and his family were deported by the Nazis from their home in Sighet, Transylvania, to Auschwitz in 1943. His mother and younger sister perished; his two older sisters survived. Wiesel and his father were transported to Buchenwald in January 1945, where his father died.

Elie didn’t just survive the ominous Holocaust, but he devoted the rest of his life to expose the deeds of the Holocaust so they would never be forgotten. Prime Minister Netanyahu says of Elie, “He gave powerful expression to our people to emerge from the darkest hour and shed a bright light on its future.”

 On Sunday, former Israeli President and Prime Minister Shimon Peres praised Wiesel for “upholding the legacy of the Holocaust and delivering a message of peace and respect between people worldwide.”  

Through his lifetime contributions of research done on the Holocaust and captured in books and film, the voice of Elie Wiesel will continue to be heard forever.