A monument and a square named in honor of Elie Wiesel have been inaugurated in Jerusalem

On Thursday, a monument to the Jewish writer, journalist, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Elie Wiesel was unveiled on the Hebrew University campus on Mount Scopus in Jerusalem. The opening ceremony was attended by the President of the University, Professor Asher Cohen, the Chairman of the Board of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC), Aaron G. Frenkel, the Chairman of the Yad Vashem Directorate, Rabbi Israel Meir Lau, and the former Deputy Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Israel, Professor Hanan Melcer.

The day before, Elie Wiesel Square was inaugurated opposite the Jerusalem headquarters of the Yad Sarah charity organization. The ceremony was attended by Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion, a delegation from the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC), the founder and head of Yad Sarah, Rabbi Uri Lupolianski, as well as public figures, politicians, and academics.

The initiative to name the square and erect the monument was proposed by the Chairman of the EAJC Board, Aaron G. Frenkel. According to Frenkel, the location of Elie Wiesel Square carries deep symbolic meaning, as the road leading to Mount Herzl runs through it: "the resting place of the deeply devoted heroes of the Israel Defense Forces, who sacrificed their lives for the common good."

"Elie Wiesel was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his tireless efforts to preserve the memory of the victims of the Holocaust," noted Aaron Frenkel. "The Shoah claimed the lives of several of his closest family members. He endured years of horror in death camps, where the Nazis attempted to strip him and other prisoners of their very humanity. It is deeply symbolic that Elie Wiesel Square is located next to Yad Sarah—an organization that embodies the core principles of charity, support for the vulnerable, and care for the infirm. The mission here is entirely dedicated to supporting and aiding those in need. Their constant focus is on sustaining, assisting, and improving the quality of life for all residents of Israel without exception."

Elie Wiesel was born in 1928 to a religious Jewish family in Sighet, Romania. In 1944, at the age of 15, he and his family were deported to the Auschwitz concentration camp. Wiesel and his father were later transferred to Buchenwald; only his two sisters survived. Beginning his literary career in Yiddish, Wiesel subsequently wrote in Hebrew, French, and English. Ten years after his liberation, he chronicled his experiences in the memoir 'Night', which left a profound impact on global culture. Originally published in French, the book was subsequently translated into 30 languages with millions of copies in print. Wiesel authored more than 40 works, many of which focused on the Holocaust and Jewish culture. Throughout his life, Elie Wiesel dedicated himself to preserving the memory of the Shoah. In 1986, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his commitment to speaking out against the suffering of the Jewish people and the victims of Nazism.