Speech by Elie Wiesel on Holocaust Remembrance Day

This is a letter dated October 17, 2007, from Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House, to Professor Elie Wiesel. Pelosi expresses gratitude to Wiesel for his participation in the Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony honoring His Holiness the Dalai Lama, noting that his presence and remarks made the occasion memorable. She also thanks him for his ongoing work to combat intolerance and injustice worldwide.

Rebecca updates her sister-in-law Maria on events among family and friends that happened since the latter's departure from Philadelphia.

This document contains two letters to the editor published in The Globe and Mail, discussing Polish history, anti-Semitism, and the Holocaust. The first letter, by Richard C. Lukas (published June 30, 1992), defends Poland against accusations of racially-based anti-Semitism, arguing for the existence of strong "philo-Semitic" forces and higher numbers of Jewish survivors due to Polish assistance during World War II. He challenges Steve Paikin's article, "Poland Striving To Shake Off An Anti-Semitic Past," and disputes the claim that death camps were primarily located in Poland due to Polish anti-Semitism. The second letter, by Eli Pfefferkorn (published July 24, 1992), responds to Lukas, accusing him of historical revisionism. Pfefferkorn references events like the Przytek and Wysockie-Mazowiecki pogroms and the anti-Jewish boycott by the Endeks to counter Lukas's assertions. He also disputes Lukas's statistics on Jewish survival and Polish rescuers, citing data from The Encyclopedia of the Holocaust and Yad Vashem, and shares his personal experience of facing danger from Poles in German-occupied Poland.

Rebecca writes to her friend Maria, discussing the recent wave of antisemitism in Europe and efforts to help Jews escape persecution. She also writes about the literature she is reading.

This document is a letter from Elie Wiesel, University Professor and Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities at Boston University, to Mr. John Train, Chairman of The Train Foundation, dated May 7, 2009. Wiesel writes with strong conviction to nominate former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell for the 2009 Civil Courage Prize. He praises Powell's distinguished career as a statesman, his efforts to reconstruct what wars destroy, his dedication to serving good and noble causes, and his denunciations of racism, bigotry, and anti-Semitism. Wiesel highlights Powell's intellectual honesty, integrity, and tireless defense of victims of injustice in various regions, including East Asia (Tsunami), Africa (Darfur), and Latin America. He commends Powell's decision during the first Gulf War not to enter Baghdad to avoid bloodshed and his voice of reason and moderation during the second Gulf War, emphasizing his preference for reconciliation, peaceful dialogue, and human solidarity. Wiesel concludes by stating that Powell embodies the ideals of the Civil Courage Prize and that honoring him will encourage mutual respect and hope.