Product Description
This book is a tribute to Elie Wiesel, Nobel Peace Prize winner, that features essays and poems by twelve renowned scholars, artists, and commentators. Exclusively for this book, Elie Wiesel has contributed seven original works previously unpublished in English: a sequence of three poems, two interviews, and three personal reflections on the things he most values. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Words of tribute for a great moral teacher of Mankind
Elie Wiesel wrote the book which more than any other perhaps, brought home to mankind the horror of the 'Shoah' His work 'Night' was one of the eternal classics of witnessing.
This commemorative volume opens with an interview by its editor Harry Cargas with Wiesel. Wiesel as always speaks in a fascinating and moving way. He talks about his being primarily a teacher and writer, and explains how he after surviving the 'Shoah' chose that path instead of one in business. He tells the story of how he after the War wandered in New York hungry most of the time even though he was employed by an Israeli newspaper as a reporter.
Wiesel speaks of how he has to be his own Rebbe, and how he spends much time thinking of those teachers and friends who were lost in the Shoah.
He is the person of remembrance, and he speaks of how with the years the memories have not grown less or diminished but rather intensified.
The volume also contains a number of moving writings by Wiesel including a concluding piece on his relation to Jerusalem.
Among those who provide essays in tribute are one of the great Jewish thinkers of the century, Emil Fackenheim, and the Christian theologian and friend of the Jewish people, Franklin Littell.
Wiesel truly deserves to be honored as the courageous witness of the Shoah, and its evil. He also deserves to be honored as a moral voice for Mankind who has repeatedly spoken out against Man's inhumanity to Man. ... Read more

Product Description
A collection of tales immortalizing the heroic deeds and visions of people Wiesel knew during and after World War II. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Legends of Our Time
Eli Wiesel returns to Sighet in Romania where he was born to walk the streets of his hometown. He notes that "Nothing had changed. The house was the same, the street was the same, the only thing missing were the Jews!" Truly one of his great works as a writer and story teller. This book is a must to read. I could not put it down and read it all night.

Israel is Oppressed
I loved this book.As much as I would like to understand how the Shoah happened, as a Christian, after reading Wiesel, I have to respond to the psalmist's command "and all wickedness shuts its mouth.Psalm 107:42."

Most of Wiesel's books are fiction, but in this one, he is the main character.The book is thoughtful and thought provoking.My copy was given me by a jewish friend whom I had to convince I wanted to keep it; she wanted to keep it too!(I normally return borrowed books).

Haunting when Wiesel returns to Sighet in Romania to walk the streets of his hometown.He reflected "Nothing had changed.The house was the same, the street was the same, the world was the same, God was the same.Only the jews had disappeared."Can you imagine anything like that?

If it is any consolation, and I hope Mr. Wiesel is not offended, "behold, the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, behold your salvation comes, and his recompense with Him.Isaiah 62:11"And, from Isaiah 61:8 "the Lord loves justice, He hates robbery and wrong."And from Isaiah 25:8 "and the Lord God will wipe away all tears from their eyes, and will swallow up death in victory."

And if Christians do not see the writing on the wall and see our own guilt in what transpired in this last century, and at least respond with knocking knees, as Belshazzar, the Babylonian king, did, then Christianity is in deep trouble.But those are my own reflections not Wiesel's.He states in this book "That is what I reproach us for: our boundless arrogance in thinking we know everything."And "I repeat: hatred is no solution." ... Read more

Product Description

A deeply reflective work, written by a number of eminent scholars both Jewish and Christian who represent a variety of disciplines and perspectives, this book explores basic issues in Wiesel's work -the nature of God, madness, silence, horror, and hope. With essays by such authorities among others, as Robert McAfee Brown, Eugene J. Fisher, Hary James Cargas, Eva Fleuschner, and Irving Abrahamson, the bool reflects the inspitation of Wiesel's reconstructed belief in God, humanity, and the future. These eminent theologians, literary scholars, and philosophers show how Wiesel's thinking has changed over the past thirty years, and how it has remained the same.

Customer Reviews (1)

The Witness
I was held captive by this book for two weeks in August, when I would traditionally be reading beach fare.I picked it up because the author is Peace Nobelist and Holocaust survivor, Elie Wiesel.What could he tell me about the future of Israel in this history of Jewish sages and dreamers, some of whom lived in Israel and others in exile?

A brief note about myself:although I'm not Jewish, I became an enthusiastic Zionist at age 13, after reading Exodusand Mila 18 by Leon Uris.Now, 50 years later, I'm not so certain.

Please help me, Dr. Wiesel!

"Sages and Dreamers" begins with Noah and, as the author puts it:"Let us begin at the end--I mean, at what could have been the end, not of a story but of history itself."

All the way through this extraordinary book, Wiesel stares the end in the face.The apocalypse.The endless night.

Jephthah follows Noah, and sacrifices his daughter.This is the man who most resembles Israel's current leaders."He was a judge in Israel.He fought for Israel.He saved Israel.His name ought to evoke relief and gratitude--yet it resonates in the darkest recesses of our religious imagination like a warning."

What Jephthah had forgotten was that judges are "supposed to be compassionate as well as fair.A judge is supposed to hold high the value, the sanctity of human life."He killed his daughter because he thought the sacrifice was part of a pact he had made with God to save Israel.

"Sages and Dreamers" is divided into three parts:"The Bible;" "The Talmud;" and "The Hasidic Tradition."There are twenty-five chapters (originally lectures), each about "a man or a woman whose inspired life story [the author] found intriguing and demanding of investigation."

Four of the lectures in the Talmudic section form what seems to me to be the heart of this book.The four sages in these chapters witnessed the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans.Rabbi Akiba , the main figure was born around the year 40 of the Common Era.He was already married with adult children before he began to study the Torah."'If it were not for him,' says the Talmud, 'the Torah would have been forgotten.'"

In the core episode, Rabbi Akiba and three of his friends, also sages entered the 'Pardes,' the orchard of forbidden knowledge."One lost his mind, another lost his faith, a third lost his life--and only Rabbi Akiba entered in peace and emerged in peace."

The author explores in depth what happened to each of the four sages, and why.In order to do this, he moves backward and forward in time: from the parting of the waters at Creation; to the Roman persecution of the Jews (when the four friends went on their metaphysical adventure); and ultimately forward into the darkness of Birkenau.

Is it possible that what the four sages saw in the orchard of forbidden knowledge was the future?

We are more fortunate than we know that Elie Wiesel still stands witness.What will happen when he dies?We will still have his books.It is up to all of us to read them and remember.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Very Interesting and Informative Book
This book is very interesting, creepy at times, but still interesting and informative without getting boring. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Honest and True -- Very, *Very* Powerful
The quote from the New York Times on the cover of the first English translation of this book has it exactly right: "a slim volume of terrifying power." Wiesel's retelling of his experiences in the Auschwitz concentration camp is concise and seemingly artless. But the absence of sentimental pathos only makes the story so much more moving, so much more powerful. I first listened to this novel as an audio book some five or six years ago, and the experience was overwhelming. Since then, I've listened to it again perhaps five times, I've read it in the French original twice, and I've read the English translation by Stella Rodway once. I now know it almost by heart. Certain passages from the book would haunt my imagination for weeks, leaving an indelible imprint on my soul. For instance, I feel I know with certainty that I will remember the fate of Moshe the Beadle -- a human being of flesh and blood who once lived and breathed, and whose story is told here in but a few pages -- until my dying day. 'Never shall I forget that night' -- this is a very, *very* powerful book. ... Read more

Product Description
Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize

Night is one of the masterpieces of Holocaust literature. First published in 1960, it is the autobiographical account of an adolescent boy and his father in Auschwitz. Wiesel writes of their battle for survival, and of his battle with God for a way to understand the wanton cruelty he witnesses each day.

In the short novel Dawn (1961), a young man who has survived the Second World War and settled in Palestine is apprenticed to a Jewish terrorist gang. Command to execute a British officer who has been taken hostage, the former victim becomes an executioner.

In The Accident, (1962), Wiesel again turns to fiction to question the limits of the spirit and the self: Can Holocaust survivors forge a new life without the memories of the old? As the author writes in his introduction, "In Night it is the 'I' who speaks; in the other two [narratives], it is the 'I' who listens and questions."

Wiesel's trilogy offers meditations on mankind's attraction to violence and on temptation of self-destruction.

A Hill & Wang Teacher's Guide is available for this title.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Night
I had to read the book "Night" for school and loved it.Great book

Elie Wiesel is atrue voice of truth and conscience
Night by Elie Wiesel is not only one of the definitve works on Holocaust literature, it is one of the most definitve works on humanity.
This is a factual record of Wiesel's experiences from 1941, when the author was 12 years old, dedicated to learning Talmud and thirsting to learn Kaballah, to his experiences after Jews were forced into ghettoes and then transported to the death camps.
Written in Yiddish in 1958 and translated into English in 1960.
It is a record of Wiesel's childhood in the death camps of Auschwitz and Birkenau. It is dedicated to the memory of Wiesel's parents and his little sister Tzipora who were cruelly murdered in the Nazi inferno.
The book is stark in it's record of everything seen by the author and asks many questions for which answers are difficult to find.
It tells of the vow of Wiesel and a friend in the camp to emigrate to the Land of Israel if they survived, a dream shared by millions who died in and lived through the Shoah.
Perhaps the most horrifying and moving account in the book is when the author reveals how during the first night in Auschwitz, he and his father wait in line to be thrown into a firepit. He watches a lorry draw up beside the pit and deliver its load of children into the fire. While his father recites the Kaddish, the prayer for the dead.
" Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed. Never shall I forget that smoke. Never shall I forget the little faces of the children, whose bodies I saw turned into wreaths of smoke beneath a silent blue sky.
Never shall I forget those flames which consumed my faith forever.
Never shall I forget that nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live. Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust. Never shall I forget these things, even if I am condemned to live as long as God Himself. Never".
Elie Wiesel has been a voice of conscience in the world ever since this book became known.
He has penned various other bestsellers. His Elie Wiesel Foundation For Human Rights has done valuable work in this field for many years.
In a plea for the plight of his own people today, especially the youth and children of Israel today targeted by terror and forces of genocide (such as Hamas, Hezbollah and the Ahmadinejad regime- as well as all who are sympathetic to these anti-Jewish elements) he penned an open letter to President Bush stating: "Please remember that the maps on Arafat's uniform and in Palestinian children's textbooks show a Palestine encompassing not only all of the West Bank but all of Israel, while Palestinian leaders loudly proclaim that 'Palestine extends from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, from Rosh Hanikra (in the North) to Rafah (in Gaza). Please remember Danielle Shefi, a little girl in Israel. Danielle was five. When the murderers came, she hid under her bed. Palestinian gunmen found and killed her anyway. Think of all the other victims of terror in the Holy Land. With rare exceptions, the targets were young people, children and families. Please remember that Israel--having lost too many sons and daughters, mothers and fathers--desperately wants peace. It has learned to trust its enemies' threats more than the empty promises of 'neutral' governments".

Elie Wiesel is atrue voice of truth and conscience.

Night
I recently read this book, Night by Elie Weise. This is a touching story that takes place back in the hard times of the holocaust. It's a true story of a young Jewish, German boy as he is taken from his home and away from his family and how this main event in history effected his life, as well as the triumphs that he went through to survive. My point of view on this book is that it's a great book that can make the toughest readers change their view or opinion on racial supremecy and or history of the holocaust itself. The emotions that i felt while reading Night are unexplainable. I felt that what was done in the past is ridicoulas and that all humans were created equally,people that have a problem with tha statement are insecure with themselves and I learned that through reading this book. The setting takes place in multiple concentration camps throughout Germany. The jewish family in which case this book follows were transported multiple times in order to stay alive. The plot of Night is that of the German family's story that has been documented throughout their hard times during the halacoust. The theme of Night is that hard times do come and you have to push your way through them. The main character in the book,(a young boy) explains to his father, the only one left living of his family that they can't allow the German nazi's to get the best of them, for thats what they want to see and hear. That's the news that they are all waiting upon hearing. Over all Night, by Elie Weisel was a great book that any kind or reader would enjoy.

A must read
For me this book was a horrifying read filled with images of destruction of life and the human soul. Wiesel's record of his experience in Auschwitz and Buchenwald caused me to question the depth of humanity's depravity towards one another. Also, you have to admire Wiesel's honesty in admitting his thoughts and the conflict he faced when dealing with his father. Most of us probably couldn't imagine doing such a thing towards our parents but when human existence has been whittled down to just surviving another day, I wonder how far we would go in Weisel's shoes.

I read this book because it was referred to in an earlier book I read i.e. The Freedom Writer's Diary and I am not sorry that I read it. I recommend everyone to read it so that it might increase our awareness of what went on during the Holocaust and help us prevent similar events from happening. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Dawn by Elie Wiesel
I tried to use this book in a philosophy of religion course I taught years ago.The students and professor became so emotional at times that we had difficulty making any headway.The lesson we learned:weep.

Dawn Review
Elie Wiesel is a brilliant writer. Like all of his books, this one touched my heart and opened my eyes. I would recommend this book to all readers - even to younger readers. My children are 10 and 11 and they have read this book. ... Read more

Product Description
In light of the Holocaust, what is the significance of the fact that Christianity has its roots in Judaism? The disquieting question is only one of many addressed in this new book by renowned Catholic theologian Johann Baptist Metz, author of The Passion for God. His reflections are joined by those of Jewish writer and activist Elie Wiesel, author of Night, who says that the reflective Christian knows it was not the Jewish people who died at Auschwitz, but Christianity itself.In independently conducted interviews, these two men show why they are today's most important commentators on the Holocaust. Though they were on opposite sides of the war, these are men of deep faith who share the sense that the Holocaust was a rift in history itself, after which nothing could ever be seen in the same way as before. And yet for both, there is hope "nonetheless."For each man, the book includes a biographical introduction, the major influences on his thought, and his reflections on anti-Semitism, interfaith dialogue, the meaning of God and faith, and why both the Church and God were silent at Auschwitz. The two are united by their common passion for memory, the remembrance of human suffering, and the suffering unto God. This is a work of enduring interest to anyone involved in Holocaust studies, Jewish/Christian dialogue, theological studies, and the problem of evil. ... Read more

Product Description
This volume offers critical analysis of all of Wiesel's major writings, with full chapters on Night, Dawn, The Oath, and four other full-length works. His most recent five novels, including The Testament (1980) and Twilight (1987), are also covered. Plot, character development, thematic concerns, and style are discussed, as are historical contexts and alternate critical perspectives. ... Read more

Product Description
BRAND NEW 2006 PAPERBACK EDITION. SOME SHELFWEAR MARKS. OVERSTOCK MARK. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Elie Wiesel
This clearly-written, accessible biography tells the story of Elie Wiesel's life in the context of historical events, both in his native Romania and in Europe. Using a wide variety of sources, Moore paints the picture of a young teen, his family, and his community torn asunder during the Holocaust. Moore's dramatic, vivid writing communicates the horror the Jews faced: "The Jews of Sighet were frightened by what they heard. Hitler was a fire on the horizon; his flame grew closer as months went by." (p. 34). Moore describes Wiesel's life after 1945 and includes interesting bits about his wife and son. She offers a fascinating glimpse into Wiesel's writing--both content and process.
The book includes elements that help the young reader navigate: contents, timeline, chapter notes, glossary, and index. In addition, separate pages act like sidebars to the main narrative. Some examples are: mini-biographies of Adolf Hitler and François Mauriac, as well as Wiesel's acceptance speech on receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986. Unfortunately, the book contains several errors in word usage. For example, "omnipotent" is quoted from a source instead of "impotent". (p.65) This book should help promote Elie Wiesel's ineluctable aim: "For the dead and the living, we must bear witness." Let us hope this goal is achieved.
Reviewed by Anne Dublin

A great young-adult biography
This is a can't-put-it-down biography that delves into the details, from painful to remarkable, about the life of Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel.The book shows how Wiesel - dealing for decades with the effects of his harrowing experience - wrote a host of memorable books and became a powerful voice for morality. A really good read -- even for an adult! ... Read more

Product Description
Since it was first published in 1980, From Generation to Generation has inspired thousands to pursue the unique challenges and rewards of Jewish genealogy. Far more engaging than a mere how-to reference guide, this landmark book is also part detective story and part spiritual quest. As Arthur Kurzweil takes you along on his own fascinating journey through his family’s past, you’ll learn about the tools, techniques, and the step-by-step process of Jewish genealogical research – including the most current information on using the Internet and the newly accessible archives of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. But even more, after reading this fully updated, revised, and beloved classic, you will undoubtedly be inspired to embark on a genealogical quest of your own! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

From Generation to Generation: How to Trace Your Jewish Genealogy and Family History
All novice researchers of Jewish genealogy should own this book. Yes, Jewish genealogy is different from all other genealogy, but the author Kurzweil is more than equal to the task of explaining it. Admittedly, this review can include only highlights of this wonderful book. Not a collection of dry facts, throughout, the author inspires with the tale of his own quest to learn about his Jewish ancestors.

On specifics, Kurzweil provides guidance on how to collect family stories, get the research underway, use historical records, and access key Jewish resources such as Memorial Books from Jewish communities. He claims that Jewish towns and surnames are the key to the research, and so he lists the towns with published Memorial Books, and provides lists of Jewish names. He gives extensive information and guidance to elaborate on these topics.

Kurzweil thoroughly explains a wealth of other resources. Examples include helpful websites such as JewishGen.org.; journals of Jewish genealogy such as "Avotaynu"; resources for Holocaust research; and Jewish encyclopedias including "Encyclopedia Judaica".

In the Foreward to the book Elie Wiesel said it all. That Kurzweil's beautiful and important book ....."shows us that each name is a mysterious call transmitted from generation to generation in order to force themselves to question the meaning of their survival."

really interesting and helpful
This is an awesome book. I am a novice at family genealogy, with a research background.When I became interested in tracing my family's roots, I was intrigued by the data available on the web.It was hard to figure out where to look first.I saw the reviews for this book on Amazon, and I first took this book out from the library.When I realized how much I'd use it, I bought my own copy.
This book is very easy to read, especially in terms of how to sort out the kinds of information you can look for, hints about where to find it, and realizing that it's okay to decide for yourself how far to delve.The enthusiasm of the author is contagious.I couldn't put it down.

The single best source for Jewish Genealogy I've found yet
Having become interested in doing the genealogy of my family about two years ago, I began by going it alone and stumbling around Google and visiting some resources in New York City including the fascinating Municipal Archives.

I was told about this book some months ago and, voila!, it has opened the whole world of Jewish geneaology for me.I've bought 14 other books on the subject and find this the most interestingly written and the most complete.There are updates to the book so I'd caution the buyer to get the latest one from Amazon rather than one of the much older ones being sold as used.The list of resources is exhaustive and clearly organized and each area of investigation is illustrated by the author through sharing his journey of discovery of his own roots.

You'll find information about how to use resources in the US and in the major cities like NY and Chicago as well as information about national resources such as YIVO, the National Archives, the Mormon Church's extensive records and how to access them.Special interest groups for Rumania, Latvia, etc. are listed and you'll eventually find many rich sources which you'd probably not discover on your own except by accident.

This is the book I wish I'd had two years ago and I would have saved much time, money and frustration.No one book can be the only one worth having, but I'd definitely buy this one first, read it through with a highliter and post-it notes to mark sections worth exploring again more deeply.

Part detective story, part spiritual quest,, part how-to text
Along with the new Avotaynu Guide, indispensable.

Kurzweil's book is not as lengthy and technical as the Avotaynu book, nor as concise and tightly organized as Barbara Krasner-Khait's Discovering Your Jewish Ancestors (2001).But what it offers is something unheard of in genealogy textbooks - a work that reads like a novel.He is not afraid to be expansive and anecdotal, even chatty.His personal stories with genealogy, dating back to 1970, are gripping.Especially so because Kurzweil (unlike many genealogical authors) knows how to tell a story.The book is often lyrical and intensely earnest, without being melodramatic or overwrought.His passion for discovering his ancestral roots is sincere and infectious.In fact, his discovery of a descent from a famous Hasidic rabbi led him to embrace more traditional Judaism in his spiritual life.

But the book is not ALL personal stories, as interesting as they are.He packs the bulk of these into his opening chapters, and then sprinkles them as useful illustrations throughout the work.He covers all of the important topics, and is quite up to date on the online resources (through about late 2003).He has a great command of the details of doing Jewish genealogy, and he has some very brilliant recommendations for some unique and creative sources. (He was a founding father of Jewish genealogy in the mid-70s, and has given something like 600 lectures around the country).

His enthusiasm is infectious, and he makes strong arguments for the moral and spiritual value for Jews to explore their roots (bolstering his case with short gripping quotes from the Old Testament, Jewish sages, and Talmud).Further, he makes a good case against cremation (with which this Christian reviewer agrees).

The only shortcomings of the book:
1. As noted above, this is not absolutely comprehensive.You will want both the Avotaynu and the Krasner-Khait books to fill in all of the blanks.
2. While a good scholar and critically oriented, he is generally a littel more eager than I am to accept oral traditions or unproven claims of rabbinic lines.See, for example, the material pp.30-34.At the end he is willing to claim it is `likely' he is a direct descendant from King David, because a certain famous rabbi living 1500 years after David claimed descent from him (how could he know?).And another rabbi living 600 years later claims to be a descendant of that rabbi, etc.Four or five jumps like that and Kurzweil makes it to his famous 3x-great-grandfather rabbi. Utterly unprovable beyond perhaps the first or second `jump' backwards, and pretty unlikely. But in fairness, he acknowledges the problems with these rabbinic genealogies.

In any case, a wonderful read, and a good practical tool.

It might make a nice gift for a relative who is mildly interested in their family history, but in need of inspiration to get more involved.Also, every synagogue library, public library, and local historical society needs to have a donated copy (along with the Avotaynu guide).And at just $16 (for a beefy, nicely illustrated hardback), VERY affordable.

Excellent Primer for anyone considering Genealogy Research
While this book focuses on one man's search for his family history, his examples could be of value to anyone who is considering beginning a research project.Mr. Kurzweil's joy of discovery is very compelling, and was probably a big reason why I got into the hobby myself.

There is plenty of practical advice on how to start, where to look for documentation, how to interview, etc.While the book lacks depth in some areas, it covers every important facet of Genealogical research, and provides a point to jump from in search for more information. ... Read more