Elie Wiesel. Photo courtesy of the Boston University alumni association.
Well before he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986, Elie Wiesel was just another series of numbers lost in the horror of the extermination camp of Auschwitz: A-7713. It was in the atrocities of Auschwitz that he lost several members of his family and some hope. At 83 years old, this native of Sighet, Rumania, continues to travel the world to testify and fight against indifference. Wiesel will be in Vancouver on Monday September 10 for a conference organized by the Jewish Federation. He is a professor, novelist, and the most famous survivor of the Holocaust. The Source Newspaper asked him to take us through some of his experiences and to tell us about his expectations for humanity.
You have been invited to Vancouver be a part of a conference. What will the topic be about?
It will be probably be a question of memory. It remains important to deliver a message, not only for the Jewish people, but also for the nobility of humans. I have always enjoyed coming to Vancouver, which is a very beautiful city with very nice people.
In your book The Night you write: “Never shall I forget the moments which murdered my God and my soul, and my dreams which took the face of the desert.” Do you still have faith and dreams?
I have faith, but it is a wounded faith. I keep this faith because I wish to walk in the footsteps of my parents and grandparents. As for dreams, I have them for my readers, my students and for the future. The story which we tell refers to a terrible past, which is necessary to memorize in order to create hope. We can live without love, with difficulty certainly, but not without hope.
Do you think humanity can evolve?
We can change our behaviour, in particular by learning from past experiences. I think that we are more conscious of human rights. However, we remain subjected to internal passions which can be devastating. I like this word “consciousness.” Someone once said that consciousness was a Jewish invention. His name was Hitler. I’m alright with that.
To win the Nobel Peace Prize means you become a sort of moral authority. What you say carries weight. Do you feel this is true?
It brings in an audience. They listen to me, today, more than they ever have before, or at least they pretend. Before, I sometimes had the impression that I was preaching in a desert. One of my most beautiful memories goes back to January of 2000, when the chamber of the German parliament invited me to the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. Having recognized all that Germany had made good for the Jews and Israel after the war, I turned to the President of the assembly to asked him why the State wouldn’t officially apologize to the Jewish people. Shortly after, President Johannes Rau solemnly asked for the forgiveness of Israel for Shoah during a speech at the Israeli parliament.
Concerning the current events, you recently asked U.S. President Obama to intervene in Syria. Do you think you’ll manage to convince him in just few months before the presidential election?
I always hope so. I was with him few a weeks ago. With a fast commitment, I reminded him that we would have been able to prevent Shoah. While Assad continues to massacre his people, it’s time to do something.
Let’s talk about Canada. Last June you were a part of a group of Jewish leaders protesting against the limitation of medical care granted to refugees from certain countries. Do you plan to speak with the Minister of Immigration to try and change the situation?
I do not know him personally but if he calls me, I would certainly speak with him. I am always in favour of the rights of refugees, having been one myself. By definition, refugees are alone and always have fewer rights than others. It is for this reason that I signed the petition.
It had been three years since the Bernard Madoff scandal, which cost your foundation 15 million dollars. How are things today?
On a personal level and the foundation itself, lost a lot. The weeks which followed, we received donations from everywhere. We haven’t fully recovered, but the foundation continues. We have organized our next conference which will be in 2013 in Ireland. I always invite other Nobel Prize winner and young people to the conference. I remember a conference organized in Venice after the Bosnian war. At the beginning, young Bosnians and Serbian invited did not speak to each other. At the end, they cried at the idea of leaving. I’m still convinced that these young people will never kill each other.
After WWII, you studied in France before living in the United States. In 2006, then Prime Minister Ehud Olmert offered you the presidency of Israel. Have you ever considered living in Israel?
No, because I consider myself a member of the Diaspora. During my travels in Israel, the pressure and media coverage can sometimes be overwhelming. One day, a journalist asked me: Are we not good enough for you, that you refused to accept such a prestigious title? Of course, I have never wanted to shock Israel. I answered that at right now what I say belongs to me and were I to accept the presidency, they would no longer be mine. They understood.
What is your position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?
On this very complex subject, I can only hope. I want a solution based on the cohabitation of two states living in peace and independence.
A certain competition settled down between communities victims like the Jews or the descendants of the slaves. People often blame an imbalance of the media treatment with abandoned person like in Darfur or Rwanda. What is your opinion on this subject?
I blew the whistle on Rwanda and Darfur. I think the media and I should be in the same business. It is in our hands.
Do you; generally think that the memory of the holocaust is present in mind of the young generations?
The number of survivors naturally decreases and I do not wish to be the last one out. However, whoever listens to a witness becomes one themself. There have never been so many books and conferences that speak about this subject. Generally, I find people are well informed. There is a will to remember.
An Evening with Elie Wiesel
Monday, September 10, 2012 | 8:00 p.m.
The Orpheum Theatre | Seymour at Smithe Street
Tickets $36. Student tickets are $18 and can be purchased by calling 604.638.7281. No added taxes or fees.
