Elie Wiesel knew more than most people about not giving up in the face of unimaginable adversity. Born in Romania into a Jewish family, he survived the Holocaust of World War II despite having been imprisoned in both Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps.

He eventually came to the United States, becoming a citizen in 1963. His lifelong focus was on educating the world about the truth of the Holocaust, writing 57 books in both French and English. He was ultimately the recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal, the French Legion of Honour, the Nobel Peace Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Order of the Star of Romania, and an honorary knighthood.

And he warned us of the dangers of remaining neutral in times of tyranny and terror:

“The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it’s indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it’s indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it’s indifference.

Elie Wiesel was a man of peace who would be horrified at what is happening in the world today, hearing the unmistakable echoes of the years of his youth. And he would remind us, quietly but forcefully, that we cannot afford to remain indifferent.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
4/24/26