This Saturday, the world lost a Holocaust survivor, author and Nobel Peace Prize winner. Elie Wiesel passed away July 2 at the age of 87. Perhaps best known for writing his memoir "Night," Wiesel served as an inspiration, moral guide and spiritual symbol for countless people. However, Wiesel's bravery and strength did not just show in his survival at Auschwitz. Throughout his lifetime, Wiesel strived to make the world a peaceful place for all who inhabit it.
At the age of 15, Wiesel was uprooted from his home and sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp and was later transferred to Buchenwald, which was eventually liberated. Along this harrowing journey, Wiesel lost almost his entire family except for two of his sisters. Ten years after his liberation from Buchenwald, he published his memoir "Night," which detailed his harrowing experiences through Nazi Germany's Jewish concentration camps. Six decades later, Wiesel's book has been translated to over 30 languages and has sold millions of copies worldwide.
For his work with "Night" along for his constant push for world peace, Wiesel was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986. Beyond his work in literature, Wiesel touched the lives of many. From 1972 to 1976, he served as a professor at the City College of New York. Later, he worked as a professor at Boston College teaching humanities. Prior to this, he was a journalist in New York and Paris. Wiesel was well-loved by all his students and was seen as an inspiration and a force to push them to be the best that they could be.
Wiesel also served as a force for change. Known for his strong remarks, he pushed many world leaders to seek change for a better world. From Ronald Reagan to Barack Obama, Wiesel urged those in power to constantly push for a better, safer world, free from hatred and evil. He sought to ensure that the tragedies of the Holocaust will never be forgotten and that, one day, that the world can one day live in peace.
Elie Wiesel is more than just an author, Nobel Prize winner and Holocaust survivor. He is an inspiration and a symbol for hope. In the face of unspeakable horrors and evil, he did not succumb to fear and anger; rather, he used his experiences to inspire and teach future generations. He used his hardships and struggles to work towards world peace and unity. Wiesel taught a lesson that we all must take to heart: hatred will not win. We, all of us, most ensure that Wiesel and those who strived for peace alongside him did not struggle in vain. We must strive for a better world, for ourselves and those that will come after us.
