Cathedral to Dedicate New Carving of Elie Wiesel

October 4, 2021

WASHINGTON – Washington National Cathedral will formally dedicate a new stone carving of Holocaust survivor and Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel on Tuesday, October 12, 2021. The carving, which was completed in April 2021, shows Wiesel’s likeness inside the Cathedral’s Human Rights Porch, which features carvings of leading human rights defenders throughout history. The dedication is a collaboration among the Cathedral, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity.

An evening event will include remarks from members of the Wiesel family and Jon Meacham, who earlier this year was tapped as canon historian of the Cathedral, among others. Meacham will also moderate a conversation with individuals who were inspired by how Wiesel’s personal experiences informed his teachings and activism throughout his life. The full list of speakers will include:

The panel conversation moderated by Meacham will include:

  • Mehnaz Afridi, director of the Holocaust, Genocide and Interfaith Education Center at Manhattan College
  • Madeleine Albright, former U.S. Secretary of State, member of the Cathedral Chapter (via video)
  • Rabbi Irving “Yitz” Greenberg, former chairman of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council (via video)
  • Rabbi David Saperstein, former U.S. Ambassador for International Religious Freedom
  • Wai Wai Nu, witness to the genocide in Myanmar and founder of the Women’s Peace Network

A private dedication ceremony will take place earlier in the day with the Wiesel family and invited guests; this ceremony will be closed to media. The evening event described above is open to media, and all those interested must send an RSVP to [email protected]. There will also be an HD broadcast-quality live-stream of the evening session at this link, which press are free to use with credit to the Cathedral.

“From surviving the Holocaust to becoming one of the world’s leading lights in preserving the memory of that unspeakable tragedy forevermore, we owe a great debt of gratitude to Elie Wiesel,” said Cathedral Dean Randy Hollerith. “It is an honor to have his memory and his legacy included in our Human Rights Porch so he can serve as a reminder of the consequences of hate, as well as the resiliency and indomitability of the human spirit. We are blessed to have Elie with us, and with the dedication of his carving, we continue the work of combating indifference and intolerance. May his memory be a blessing.”

More details about the Elie Wiesel carving and the dedication events are available at cathedral.org/eliewiesel.

MEDIA CONTACT
Tony Franquiz, 202-374-5393, [email protected]

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About Washington National Cathedral

Grounded in the reconciling love of Jesus Christ, Washington National Cathedral is a house of prayer for all people, conceived by our founders to serve as a great church for national purposes.