- Profession: Writer
- Lived: September 30, 1928 - July 2, 2016 (Modern Era)
- Nationality: American
- Known for: Holocaust survivor, Jewish activist, called the most important Jew in America
- Fun Fact: Wiesel's mother and younger sister were killed as soon as they arrived in Auschwitz. His father died after they were transferred to Buchenwald, but Wiesel's two older sisters survived the war.
- Fun Fact: Wiesel refused to write about or discuss his experiences for nearly a decade after the Holocaust. Francois Mauriac eventually helped convince Wiesel to write the memoir which would later become "Night."
Elie Wiesel was a Romanian-born American who worked as a writer, professor and political activist. He was a Nobel Laureate and a Holocaust survivor who was held in both Auschwitz and Buchenwald. He authored nearly 60 books including Night which was based on his experiences as a Jewish prisoner during the Holocaust. He helped establish the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. and has campaigned for victims of oppression in a number of countries, including South Africa, Sudan and Kosovo. He was a founding board member of the New York Human Rights Foundation and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986.
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