About Rabbi Schindler
Professor Elie Wiesel and Us – People Not Only of Words but of Action
 After
decades of reading his books, after decades of hearing his voice on
television and in the newspaper, and after a decade of telling his
stories as I have taught, I was humbled last month to spend a
significant portion of a day with Professor Elie Wiesel. In four very
short hours, he taught me personal and professional lessons that I will
carry with me throughout my life.
Elie Wiesel is impressive. In 1955, he was among the first of the
Holocaust survivors to have the strength to find the words to describe
the horrors that were beyond words that he witnessed. Since that time,
he has written fifty books. He has taught at renowned institutions
across the globe. He has received countless prestigious honorary awards
and degrees including the most esteemed Nobel Prize for Peace in 1986.
Yet what moved me most about my time with Professor Wiesel were not his
words but his actions.
Professor Elie Wiesel lives the value of moral courage. To Wiesel,
“Never again,” are not just words, they are actions. They are his life.
Bosnia, Rwanda, Darfur, famine, war, genocide, wherever suffering and
human oppression has cried out, Professor Wiesel has been there to
answer.
On a much smaller scale, at Beth El, we are very comfortable speaking
out against the injustices that we see: poverty,hunger, domestic
violence, war, inequities and any prejudice or wrong. We can learn from
Professor Wiesel that words are not enough, actions must follow.
Temple Beth El is a loud voice in our community for change, and on May
20th, Mitzvah Day, we will be not only a powerful voice, but a
passionate and compassionate presence. If you care about Beth El being a
voice for social justice in our city and world, please give just a
couple hours of yourselves on Mitzvah Day and make a difference.
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A Rabbi's Reflections