2017 SESSION

INTRODUCED REPRINT

17101009D INTRODUCED 1 HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 851 2 Offered January 31, 2017 3 Celebrating the life of Elie Wiesel. 4 ±±±±±±±±±± Patrons±±Filler-Corn, Aird, Albo, Anderson, Bell, John J., Bloxom, Bourne, Boysko, Bulova, Campbell, Carr, Cole, Davis, Edmunds, Freitas, Greason, Hayes, Heretick, Herring, Hester, Holcomb, Hope, Jones, Keam, Kilgore, Knight, Kory, Krizek, Landes, Leftwich, LeMunyon, Levine, Lindsey, Lingamfelter, Lopez, Marshall, R.G., Miller, Minchew, Miyares, Mullin, Murphy, O©Bannon, O©Quinn, Orrock, Plum, Pogge, Price, Rasoul, Rush, Sickles, Simon, Sullivan, Torian, Toscano, Villanueva, Ware, Watts, Wright and Yancey; Senators: Chase, Deeds, Ebbin, Favola, Howell, Locke, Mason, McClellan, Peake, Spruill, Surovell, Vogel, Wagner and Wexton 5 ±±±±±±±±±± 6 WHEREAS, Elie Wiesel, a Nobel laureate, prolific author, passionate educator, and devoted advocate 7 for oppressed and vulnerable people throughout the world, died on July 2, 2016; and 8 WHEREAS, born in Sighet, Transylvania, Elie Wiesel was deported by the Nazis because he was a 9 Jew to the Auschwitz concentration camp during the Holocaust; he was later transported to Buchenwald 10 concentration camp, where he was liberated by American troops in April 1945; and 11 WHEREAS, Elie Wiesel graduated from the University of Paris and pursued a career as a journalist; 12 his memoir about his experiences during the Holocaust, Night, gained international recognition and has 13 been translated into more than 30 languages; and 14 WHEREAS, Elie Wiesel went on to author more than 60 acclaimed books of fiction and non-fiction, 15 including A Beggar in Jerusalem, The Testament, The Fifth Son, All Rivers Run to the Sea, And the Sea

16 is Never Full, and the Sonderberg Case; and HJ851 17 WHEREAS, in 1978, Elie Wiesel was appointed chair of the President©s Commission on the 18 Holocaust by President Jimmy Carter; he also served as founding chair of the United States Holocaust 19 Memorial Council and president of the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity, an organization he created 20 to fight indifference, injustice, and intolerance around the globe; and 21 WHEREAS, Elie Wiesel was a devoted supporter of Israel and defended vulnerable groups in the 22 Soviet Union, Nicaragua, Argentina, Cambodia, the former Yugoslavia, and Africa, as well as Kurdish 23 groups; he was a champion for Ethiopian-born Israelis through the Beit Tzipora Centers for Study and 24 Enrichment; and 25 WHEREAS, Elie Wiesel held more than 100 honorary degrees from higher education institutions, 26 and education had always been central to his pursuit of justice; he served as the Henry Luce Visiting 27 Scholar in Humanities and Social Thought at Yale University, Distinguished Professor of Judaic Studies 28 at the City University of New York, and the Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities at Boston 29 University; and

18:27 30 WHEREAS, among his many awards and accolades for his benevolent work, Elie Wiesel received 31 the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Congressional Gold Medal, the National Humanities Medal, the 32 Medal of Liberty, and France©s Legion of Honor; and

2/16/17 33 WHEREAS, Elie Wiesel will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by numerous family 34 members, friends, and colleagues; now, therefore, be it 35 RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby 36 note with great sadness the loss of Elie Wiesel, a Nobel prize-winning author and educator who was a 37 stalwart champion for people in need throughout the world; and, be it 38 RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution 39 for presentation to the family of Elie Wiesel as an expression of the General Assembly©s respect for his 40 memory.