NEW YORK, Nov. 3, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity presented its inaugural Legacy Award to Oprah Winfrey at the Foundation’s annual dinner Wednesday night, November 1st, at the Morgan Library in New York City. The award recognized Ms. Winfrey’s efforts to carry on the work, message and legacy of Elie Wiesel through her commitment to humanitarian service.
Founded by Elie Wiesel, the Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize recipient who died in 2016, and his wife Marion, the Foundation seeks to combat intolerance through international dialogue and youth-focused programs.
Mrs. Marion Wiesel said, “We are honoring Oprah Winfrey with the Elie Wiesel Legacy Award not only because of her dear friendship with my husband, but for her unwavering commitment to humanity and to giving voice to the voiceless. Her dedication to education, especially through the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa, mirrors Elie’s spirit of always teaching, valuing students, and believing in the power of knowledge.”
Upon receiving the award, Oprah Winfrey said about Elie Wiesel, “You knew you were in the presence of someone who had endured the unimaginable worst of times and could still give and teach the best that love has to offer. Every day he taught, lectured and lived compassion, peace, empathy for other souls and truth.”
She added, “Elie Wiesel was a hero to me, a mentor, and a friend; and that’s not a word I use lightly, ‘friend.’ He was truly a friend. So to have my name and my legacy linked to his in this way carries weight.”
Also at the event, Elisha Wiesel, the son of Elie and Marion Wiesel, announced that the Foundation will launch new conferences for young leaders in Africa and will be forming new partnerships to establish professorships bearing Elie Wiesel’s name to spread his message at universities around the country.
He also challenged the audience, asking them: “Will you stand with my father — as I believe our honoree Oprah so very much does — will you stand with him and defend his vision of hope? Will you lend your voice to DACA children in danger of deportation, to Muslim refugees fleeing to safety, to victims of shootings pleading for gun control laws, to a planet reeling from the effects of irresponsible and unnecessary pollution? And will you keep my father’s gentle voice in mind as you argue your point with respect, not scorn?”
Julia Roberts served as the emcee for the evening, which also included a live musical performance by Kelly Clarkson. Two alumnae of the Leadership Academy for Girls, Mpumi Nobiva and Sade Stevens, introduced Ms. Winfrey and presented her with the award.
Other speakers included Marion Wiesel, Elisha Wiesel, David Zaslav, President and CEO of Discovery Communications, Ronald Lauder, the philanthropist and President of the World Jewish Congress, and author Dov Seidman.
Event chairpersons were David and Pam Zaslav, Ralph and Ricky Lauren, Roger and Sloan Barnett, and Ira and Ingeborg Rennert.
The Foundation has honored individuals in the past including: former President of the French Republic Nicolas Sarkozy, former First Lady Laura Bush, Secretary Hillary Clinton, King Juan Carlos of Spain, President George H.W. Bush, former First Lady of France Danielle Mitterand, George Clooney and Tom Hanks.