“It used to be said that when the Baal Shem Tov came into a town, his impact was so strong, he didn't have to speak. His disciples had to dance or to sing or to preach to have the same effect. I think a real messenger, myself or anyone, by the very fact that he is there as a person, as a symbol, could have the same impact.”

Romanian-born American writer, professor, and political activist

Elie Wiesel was a Romanian-born American writer, professor, and political activist. He was also a Holocaust survivor and Nobel laureate, known for his witness to the destruction of European Jewry and for writing about memory, suffering, and moral responsibility. He wrote 57 books, mostly in French and English, including Night, drawn from his experience as a Jewish prisoner at Auschwitz and Buchenwald during the Holocaust. His work combines testimony with reflection, and his public life centered on remembrance, human rights, and the ethical demands of history.