Elie Weisel

Life of the Legend

Born September 30, 1928 Sighet, Romania Parents

-Shlomo Wiesel-Sarah Freig

3 sisters-Beatrice-Hilda-Tzipora

Only his two older sisters survived

Reunited in a French orphanage after the war.

World War II: Concentration Camps

1940: Romania lost Sighet 1944: the Jews of Sighet

were moved into 2 ghettos May 6th 1944: Jews of

Sighet deported to Auschwitz

Buna: managed to remain with his father for 8 months

January 1945: marched to Buchenwald. His father was beaten and put in the crematorium 3 weeks before American forces liberated the camp.

After the War

Elie and his two surviving sisters immigrated to the U.S.

Worked as a Hebrew and French translator/ correspondant.

For 10 years, Elie refused to talk about his experiences.

Night

In 1960 Night was translated into English and published in the United States.

It has been translated into over 30 languages.

Awards

1985: Congressional Gold Medal

1986: Nobel Peace Prize

Presidential Medal of Freedom

1996: Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters.