The death of World War Two concentration camp survivor and Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel was mourned on Sunday (July 3) by family and friends at a New York City synagogue, who honored his commitments to his loved-ones as well as his life-long fight for millions of Holocaust victims.
Wiesel, 87, died on Saturday at his home in New York City. The private funeral will be followed by a public memorial at a later date, the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity said.
Condolences from leaders around the world filled social media with memories of Wiesel demonstrating the triumph of goodness over inconceivable horrors.
His advocacy on behalf of Holocaust victims earned him the Nobel Peace prize in 1986. He told their story in his landmark book “Night,” maintaining that “to forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time.”
Long-time friend of Wiesel, Abraham Foxman, reflected on his death.
“The world lost a great moral voice, and the Jewish people and Israel have lost a staunch defender. We the survivors lost the voice of memory. And, I personally have lost a very special friend.”
The Romanian-born Wiesel was best known for his campaign never to let the world forget the Holocaust.
He was 16-years-old when he emerged from the newly liberated Buchenwald concentration camp in 1945.
He had been orphaned by the Nazis and their identification number, A-7713, was tattooed on his arm as a physical manifestation of his broken faith and the nightmares that would haunt him throughout his life.
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2016
