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Wiesel relates Isaac to Holocaust in lecture series

Nobel Laureate and Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities Elie Wiesel gives a talk entitled, "The Rebbe of Ger: A Tragedy in Hasidism," at Metcalf Hall on Nov. 1, 2010. DAILY FREE PRESS ARCHIVE PHOTO

“Tonight we go back 3,500 years and we see Isaac,” said author, Nobel Prize winner and Boston University professor Elie Wiesel on Monday evening to a crowd of more than 1,000 people in Metcalf Hall in the George Sherman Union in his first of three annual lectures.

“Tonight’s topic is a study in paradox,” said former BU President John Silber, who introduced Wiesel. “And no one navigates paradoxical waters . . . better than Elie Wiesel.”

As the author of “Night,” Wiesel needed no introduction, Silber said. “It has been his mission to inform people of those who have been victims that have made us feel the afflictions that others have suffered.”

The first of a three-part series, Wiesel’s lecture focused on Isaac, the son of Abraham. Wiesel explained that God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son to prove his devotion.

“We are so taken by Abraham that we are distracted from his son’s unspeakable suffering,” Wiesel said. “Isaac, for tonight at least, is my favorite . . . I love Isaac with all my heart for a variety of reasons. He lived a unique moment in Jewish history.”

Wiesel said many people overlook Isaac’s suffering because of their preoccupation with Abraham.

“I like Issac because of what happened to him and it seemed unjust to me,” he said.

Wiesel asked if Isaac can be considered the first survivor of humanity because he “endured meaningless agony.” He later drew parallels between Isaac’s suffering and that of survivors of the Holocaust.

“I think that Isaac relates to the Holocaust in the sense that he was a holocaust survivor,” said Jennifer Mandelbaum, a freshman in the College of Communication. “He was able to tell his story the way the Elie Wiesel was able to tell his story.”

Students and faculty who attended the lecture said they were impressed by Wiesel’s speech.

Peter Wang, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences, said he found Wiesel’s wealth of knowledge noteworthy.

“I think that he is a very knowledgeable scholar on the Torah. He cites many different sources to present a story of Isaac,” Wang said. “I just bask in the knowledge of how scholars in history have viewed the important event in human history.”

Mandelbaum said she found Wiesel’s analysis “really remarkable.”

“I think that his ability to communicate about something that is so hard to talk about is truly remarkable,” she said.

In his next lectures, Wiesel is expected to speak about the Talmud and good and evil.

“Professor Wiesel is a rock star,” said Karen Leonida, assistant director of events and conferences at BU. “It’s pretty amazing to hear him speak.”

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One Comment

  1. It must have been a remarkable lecture. In his book “The Messengers Of The Bible” Elie Wiesel ends his chapter on Isaac with these beautiful worlds “Why was the most tragic of our ancestors named Isaac
    a name which evokes and signifies laughter ? – – – As the first survivor, he had to teach us, the future survivors – – -that it is possible to suffer and despair an entire lifetime and still not give up the art of laughter.
    Isaac , of course, never freed himself from the traumatizing scenes that had violated his youth – – -. Yet he remained capable of laughter. And in spite of everything, he did laugh.