Reviewed by:

• Elie Wiesel: Humanist Messenger for Peace by Alan L. Berger
• Eugene J. Fisher

In this excellent book, Berger takes the reader through the life and times of Holocaust survivor, author, professor, lecturer, and 1986 Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel (1928–2016). It opens with a chronology of the events of Wiesel’s [End Page 141] life and concludes with ten “documents,” five short statements by Wiesel, and five photos, from a picture of him in Buchenwald concentration camp to a smiling photo with President Barack Obama in the White House.

The introduction to the book summarizes the life and writings of Wiesel from his birth in Romania and the loss of his family in the Shoah and his liberation from the death camp by American troops, who “wept with rage and sadness,” which the freed prisoners received as heart-rending offerings “from a wounded and generous humanity.” It narrates his time in France, when he began writing memoirs and warnings to humanity about the evils of Nazism and other anti-human groups. French Catholic writer Francois Mauriac encouraged him to write a memoir that became his classic work, Night, about his experiences and those of other Jews in the death camps. Its subtitle was an indictment, And the World Remained Silent, which, tragically, was all too true.

In Chapter One, “Shattering the Sacred Canopy,” readers will see Wiesel questioning the ancient covenant between G-d and the Jewish People, since how could a loving G-d allow such evil to descend upon the People of God? It notes the Antisemitism that Wiesel experienced not only in Europe but also in the United States, where he lived out much of his life after the Shoah. It describes his involvement in the development of such organizations as the National Conference of Christians and Jews, dedicated to bringing the kindred peoples of G-d together in dialogue, both to learn about each other and to come together to help others in need, nationally and internationally. He became deeply involved in interfaith dialogue on all levels, personally and professionally.

Wiesel debunked the false notions of the ancient Christian teaching of contempt for Jews and Judaism, by which Christians blamed Jews as a whole for the death of Jesus, though the decision was that of Pilate alone—as our Christian creed declares, he “suffered and died under Pontius Pilate.” The teaching of contempt allowed Christian rulers over the centuries to blame Jews for anything that went wrong in their societies, including bad water in wells, even though Jews drank from the same wells.

Chapter Three delves into Wiesel’s involvement in preserving the memory of the Holocaust and its victims and passing it on to future generations of Jews and Christians alike. The next chapter goes into Wiesel’s Hasidic Judaism, a faith that is open to mysticism and deep thinking, as well as observing the 613 commandments of Jewish Law/Torah/Teaching. This deep faith gave him solace and allowed him to open up to differing views within Judaism and Christianity, so that he was often able to bring together people of differing traditions [End Page 142] and faiths in a way that enabled them to work together for the betterment and healing of the world, tikkun olam.

The book closes with a summary of the works he published and his work with others for human rights, including civil rights in the U.S. in the 1960s and 1970s, and his efforts to promote world peace, so that all humankind can create a better world for future generations. This is an important, indeed vital, book for all who care about ecumenism and interfaith amity to read, use in dialogue groups, meditate upon, and strive to live up to.

审阅者：

• Elie Wiesel：人文主义和平使者艾伦·伯杰 (Alan L. Berger)
• 尤金·J·费舍尔

在这本精彩的书中，伯杰带领读者了解了大屠杀幸存者、作家、教授、讲师和 1986 年诺贝尔和平奖获得者埃利·威塞尔 (Elie Wiesel，1928-2016) 的生活和时代。它以威塞尔[完第 141 页]生活事件的年表开始，以十份“文件”、威塞尔的五篇简短声明和五张照片结束，从他在布痕瓦尔德集中营的照片到与巴拉克总统的微笑照片奥巴马在白宫。

这本书的引言总结了威塞尔的生活和著作，包括他在罗马尼亚出生、在大屠杀中失去家人、以及美国军队将他从死亡营中解放出来，美国军队“愤怒和悲伤地哭泣”，释放了囚犯“来自受伤而慷慨的人类”的令人心碎的奉献。它讲述了他在法国的时光，当时他开始撰写回忆录，并向人类警告纳粹主义和其他反人类团体的罪恶。法国天主教作家弗朗索瓦·莫里亚克鼓励他写一本回忆录，该回忆录后来成为他的经典作品《夜》，讲述了他和其他犹太人在死亡集中营的经历。它的副标题是一份控诉，《世界保持沉默》，可悲的是，这却是千真万确的。

在第一章“粉碎神圣的天篷”中，读者会看到维塞尔质疑上帝与犹太人之间的古老盟约，因为慈爱的上帝怎么可能允许如此邪恶降临到上帝的子民身上？它指出了威塞尔不仅在欧洲而且在美国经历了反犹太主义，他在大屠杀后的大部分时间都在美国度过。它描述了他参与发展诸如全国基督徒和犹太人会议等组织的活动，致力于将上帝的同胞们聚集在一起进行对话，既相互了解，又团结起来帮助国内和国际上有需要的人。他深入参与了个人和专业各个层面的宗教间对话。

威塞尔揭穿了古代基督教教义中蔑视犹太人和犹太教的错误观念，基督徒将耶稣的死归咎于整个犹太人，尽管这个决定是彼拉多一人做出的——正如我们的基督教信条所宣称的那样，他“受苦并受苦”。死于本丢彼拉多手下。”几个世纪以来，蔑视的教义使得基督教统治者将社会中的任何问题归咎于犹太人，包括井水不好，尽管犹太人从同一口井里喝水。

第三章深入探讨了威塞尔参与保存大屠杀及其受害者的记忆并将其传递给后代犹太人和基督徒的活动。下一章将介绍威塞尔的哈西德犹太教，这是一种对神秘主义和深刻思考持开放态度的信仰，并遵守犹太律法/托拉/教义的 613 条戒律。这种深厚的信仰给了他安慰，并让他能够接受犹太教和基督教内部的不同观点，因此他经常能够将不同传统[第 142 页]和信仰的人们聚集在一起，使他们能够为共同的目标而共同努力。世界的改善和治愈，tikkun olam。

本书最后总结了他出版的著作以及他与其他人为人权所做的工作，包括 20 世纪 60 年代和 1970 年代美国的公民权利，以及他为促进世界和平所做的努力，以便全人类能够为人类创造一个更美好的世界。后人。对于所有关心普世主义和宗教间友好的人来说，这是一本重要且至关重要的书，值得他们阅读、在对话小组中使用、沉思并努力践行。