Yesterday, National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene and Museum of Jewish Heritage held an event in honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day and the recent passing of Holocaust survivor and author Elie Wiesel. Those in attendance include Jessica Hecht, David Hyde Pierce, Zalmen Mlotek, Joel Grey, Ron Rifkin, Ellen Burstyn, Tovah Feldshuh, and Sheldon Harnick. Wiesel’s son, Elisha, was also in attendance.
The event consisted of the testimony of Holocaust survivors before a vocal reading of Wiesel’s memoir Night. The reading began at 3pm and continued into the evening until the entire memoir was read aloud.
“This event honors the legacy of Elie Wiesel and gives us the opportunity to bring his groundbreaking and eloquent account of the Holocaust to life for one night, through the voices of New Yorkers of all backgrounds,” said Michael S. Glickman, President and CEO of the Museum of Jewish Heritage. “As New York’s Holocaust Museum, it is our responsibility to amplify Wiesel’s words in whatever way we can to continue his work of teaching the world about the dangers of indifference and the importance of fighting for justice.”