Invitation to Shabbat Dinner at World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2011

This document, titled "The End and The Beginning," is a personal narrative by Elie Wiesel. It describes his severe illness from food poisoning three days after his liberation from a concentration camp (implied Buchenwald), leading to a near-death experience. He recounts how his will to live was reignited upon seeing his emaciated reflection in a mirror, which he then shattered, marking a turning point in his recovery and inspiring the outline for his book. The narrative then shifts to a reflection ten years post-Buchenwald, expressing his dismay that the world forgets the atrocities. He notes Germany's resurgence, the freedom of figures like Ilse Koch, and the spread of Holocaust denial, expressing concern that the truth of the six million martyrs is being dismissed as legend.

This document is a formal invitation to a dinner hosted by François Delattre, Ambassador of France to the United States of America, and Leonard L. Silverstein, President of the French-American Cultural Foundation. The dinner is held in honor of Mrs. Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund. The invitation specifically requests the presence of Prof. and Mrs. Elie Wiesel. The event is scheduled for Wednesday, June 13, 2012, with cocktails at 7:00 p.m. and seated dinner at 7:30 p.m. It will take place at La Maison Française at the Embassy of France, located at 4101 Reservoir Road, N.W., Washington, D.C. The dinner is prepared by Chef Pascal Tingaud of Dom Pérignon. The invitation also provides RSVP details, including a phone number and email address, and notes that identification is necessary upon arrival, with a dress code of cocktail attire and valet parking available.

This letter from Jean Dausset, a Nobel laureate in Physiology or Medicine (1980), addresses a colleague about the Universal Movement for Scientific Responsibility. Dausset, currently president of its French branch, emphasizes the urgent need for scientists to act on global challenges and harness public opinion, informed by expert advice, to influence decision-makers. He highlights the movement's role in fostering dialogue among scientists, the public, and policymakers (politicians, industrialists, administrators). The letter proposes that the recipient consider establishing a branch of the movement in their own country, aiming to guide humanity through a major crisis of adaptation to rapid technological progress, fostering peace and tolerance.

Condoleezza Rice, as Secretary of State, writes to Elie Wiesel to thank him for inviting her to a conference in Petra, Jordan, in June. This conference is being convened by the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity and the King Abdullah II Fund for Development. Rice expresses her regret that she will be unable to attend due to prior commitments on her schedule. She acknowledges the importance of the conference's focus on building economic infrastructure for peace, anticipating a dynamic and worthwhile discussion, and states her anticipation of learning about the forum's outcome. The letter concludes with a wish for great success to Elie Wiesel and Marion concerning the conference.

Elie Wiesel, along with Marion, writes a letter to First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton expressing profound gratitude for her participation in their Venice conference. They commend her words for having a significant and positive effect on both those who attended and those who watched on worldwide television, praising her as "superb." Wiesel adds a handwritten postscript emphasizing the importance of their friendship.