WITNESS
by Ariel Burger is subtitled “Lessons
from Elie Wiesel’s Classroom” and is filled with wisdom that is highly relevant
today. One example is this quote from Wiesel:
"When you face evil, don't let it grow, fight it right away… Be watchful….
What happens to me will eventually happen to you …. Anyone who is suffering, anyone
who is threatened becomes your responsibility.... I do not know how to end
hatred, I truly wish I did – but recognizing our shared humanity is a good
beginning." Others are the sections where Wiesel discusses the importance
of listening and the power of words: “I used words to try to change facts, to
create new realities.” Or about the value of literature and history: “if we
want to understand what is happening today, we must look to the past.”
WITNESS
is a truly moving and
inspirational text and encourages all of us to reflect on how to lead a moral
life. The author has known Wiesel for decades, first when Burger was a teenage student,
and later as Wiesel’s teaching assistant and mentee. Burger has filled WITNESS with quotes from
classroom discussions at Boston University and from other communication with Wiesel.
In addition to reading and contemplating the book itself, you may wish to
register for Facing History’s online discussion with Ariel Burger about this book or for other webinars in the
series.
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