Few men can sit at a desk in a darkened hall and read an hour-long speech about a profoundly introspective and complex topic from a written text, and have a crowd of roughly 1,000 people sitting in absolute silence and swallowing his every word with rapt attention. The incomparable Elie Wiesel was one of these people. I can attest to that fact because I was lucky enough to be one of the people at the Y on this evening 20 years ago, the only lecture of his that I ever attended live. What is even more impressive is that some great orators can hold your attention while they speak, but after you leave you cannot repeat to others what they said, because it was all just flowery words. What truly made Elie Wiesel special was the thought provoking content of his speech. Even as I reheard it just now twenty years later, I still remembered much of its content, precisely because of how much food for thought it provided. Thanks for making some of the unforgettable lectures of this unique Jewish historian and chronicler available for future generations.

Great Man! Thank you for a compelling lecture.