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There is a particular kind of strain that comes of living in a time like this. Great social and political tension, the widening divide between entrenched positions, the rise of hatreds we thought had finally been marginalized, all lead to uncertainty, anxiety, discomfort. But there is also tremendous opportunity in this historical moment. The world we created was not working. The systems of thought, the … Keep Reading

For the past two months I’ve been traveling to bookstores, synagogues, and community centers along the East coast. I speak for 20 or 30 minutes about my book, about my teacher, about the lessons that help me make sense of the world today. Then I invite questions, and people ask about current events, about Elie Wiesel’s life and beliefs, and about my time with him. … Keep Reading

Professor Wiesel didn’t like miracle stories. When a student asked about miracles during the Holocaust, he said “Miracles?! For some, but not for others?” And he added that every miracle story is also a blasphemy, because, if God could perform miracles, why didn’t He perform miracles for others? There are many miracle stories in Hasidic lore. But there are very few of these tales about … Keep Reading

As I begin to travel and meet people in bookstores, community centers, and places of worship, I am moved by the depth of their questions, the depth of their care for the world. I feel the weight that so many are carrying right now, as we consider the challenges facing us. And I talk about hope, not a passive hope, waiting for something to change, … Keep Reading

It is a time of fear, a time of pain. Eleven people are dead, murdered for being Jews. Anger masks grief, anxiety dances in our chests with fury. What can we do with our fear, our pain? In this time, I turn to the words of my teacher Elie Wiesel for comfort and clarity. I don’t know for certain what he would say today, but … Keep Reading