Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel gave a lecture on the Queens College Campus on Monday, April 7th, to a standing-room-only crowd of over 800 students and faculty during a raging snow storm in New York.
The lecture was part of "War on Hate II," a series of events about bigotry, racism and all forms of hate, sponsored by Queens College Hillel and 20 other interfaith and multi-cultural groups on the campus.
Mr. Wiesel's topic was the "Urgency of Hope." He spoke of his own life experiences and of the origins of hatred and terrorism. He commented that at the turn of the century, "The new Millenium," there was much celebration for the future, yet on 9/11 the terrorists reached a new level of depravity. "The suicide hijackers didn't even leave a note behind...they showed no restraint for women, children, or innocents." Now, for many, the future is in doubt.
Rabbi Moshe Shur, the executive director of the Queens College Hillel, said, "Though the snow was falling and it was cold outside, you could feel the 'warmth' of the crowd inside the Student Union during the Wiesel Lecture. The students from all backgrounds, religions, and ethnic groups listened to his words of reflection and opened their hearts to his call for the need for healing and hope during this time."
Mr Wiesel ended his lecture with, "I pray that my hope is not some one else's despair."