Skip to main content

Schakowsky Statement on the Passing of Elie Wiesel

July 3, 2016

CHICAGO, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky released the following statement on the passing of Holocaust survivor, writer and Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel:

“I join with many around the world in mourning the loss of Elie Wiesel, a man who emerged from the unspeakable horrors of the Holocaust to become a champion of freedom from hatred and bigotry.

“Elie Wiesel was one of millions targeted because of his Jewish faith. Through his writing and his work, he made the world aware of the atrocities that he endured but so many others did not survive. Speaking on behalf of the dead and the survivors, he left us a compelling, painful record that will continue to serve as lesson for this and countless generations to come.

“Elie Wiesel felt an obligation not just to keep the past from being forgotten but to prevent it from being repeated. He was a tireless fighter against anti-Semitism and genocide wherever it occurred. He was a person who knew great darkness but who chose to be a beacon, an inspiration to all of us in his call for action.

“The best way we can honor Elie Wiesel is to continue his commitment to never forget and to never be silent in the face of genocide, intolerance and hate.”

###