2016 has been a cruel year, my friends.  This Saturday, we learned that Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor, witness, teacher, and author, had passed away at the age of 87.

Wiesel was a 16-year-old when he was liberated from Buchendwald with the indelible tattoo A-7713 on his arm.  At the time,  there was an enormous, devastating silence surrounding the events of the Holocaust, as victims tried desperately to move on with their lives, to mourn their own losses, and to forget their helplessness.  Others were reeling from their inability to save lives, and from their own ignorance of the truth.  For many of us, even today, his was the first voice that described the Holocaust, who demanded recognition and remembrance.

His loss will be felt around the world, but his words Refuse to fade.  Today, we remember Wiesel.  And we thank him for speaking.

We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.
The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference.
There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.

–Elie Wiesel, Night