Remembering Elie Wiesel

Elie Wiesel made a commandment of memory. Whenever my students ask why they should study history, I always respond with a quote from Elie, who lived the answer: "Without memory, there is no culture. Without memory, there would be no civilization, no society, no future." Elie constantly reminded us of the power of memory. "If there is a single theme," he wrote, "that dominates all my writings, all my obsessions, it is that of memory because I fear forgetfulness as much as hatred and death. For if we forget, we are accomplices."