Letter from Martha Hauptman to Elie and Marion Wiesel

A letter from Jacques Chirac, then President of the French Republic, dated January 17, 2007, addressed to Monsieur Elie Wiesel. In the letter, Chirac informs Wiesel of his decision to promote Madame Marion Wiesel to the rank of Commander of the Order of the Legion of Honor. He acknowledges Elie Wiesel's appreciation for this promotion and praises Marion Wiesel's eminent role in supporting Elie Wiesel's work and her remarkable personal action in giving universal resonance to the message of the Shoah, which she also experienced. The letter concludes with expressions of cordial esteem and friendship.

This is a letter dated November 29, 2010, from John Gfroerer of Accompany Video Production, addressed to Leslie Meyers at The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity, but with a salutation "Dear Elie,", likely referring to Professor Elie Wiesel. The letter expresses gratitude for help in providing pictures for a video made about Professor Wiesel for the Lantos Foundation. Gfroerer states he enclosed three copies of the video and asks that one be passed on to Professor Wiesel and Marion, who requested a copy at an event in New York. He conveys his appreciation for their work through the Foundation and expresses that it was an honor to have produced the video and to have briefly met Elie Wiesel in New York.

This document is a letter from MK Ariel Sharon to Mr. Elie Wiesel, dated April 12, 2000. In the letter, Sharon expresses his profound gratitude on behalf of his family for Wiesel's letter of condolence and participation in their mourning following the passing of his wife, Lili. Sharon emphasizes that Wiesel's warm words and thoughtful attention provided comfort and strength during this difficult time of loss.

Alexandra Gorko, nee Paley, was born in Kiev, Russia in 1916. In this follow-up interview she briefly describes conditions in Bergen-Belsen: clothing, food, and her work in an ammunition factory. She reflects on the issue of resistance and her decision to disobey Mengele’s order to inject pregnant women with a gasoline-type substance. She also acknowledges that she refused to cooperate in the act of throwing babies from the windows of the Lodz Ghetto hospital where she was a supervisor and nurse. She refers to her brother’s involvement with a group of 12 men who built a secret radio and dissem‌in‌ated BBC news March 1940 until January 1942 when they were exposed and sent to Chelmno for gassing. In referring to her knowledge of what was transpiring under the Nazis, she discusses the de‌cep‌tion perpetrated by the Nazis as well as the inability of people to believe the reports that circulated even when clothes resembling those of friends and relatives were delivered to the ghetto. For additional information on Mrs. Gorko's experiences, see the original interview by Eileen Steinberg on August 19, 1985. See also the interview with her husband Anatole Gorko.

This is a thank-you letter from Ted Koppel and Grace Anne, dated May 20, 2003, to Marion and Elie. The letter expresses profound gratitude for their presence at a special event, likely a 50th celebration, which the authors consider a high point in their lives. They acknowledge the effort involved in hosting, particularly in securing the attendance of "the Wiesels." The authors convey deep appreciation for the quality of their family and friends, including Drew, and the generosity shown, stating they feel incredibly fortunate. The letter concludes with warm regards, emphasizing their friendship.