Chabad of Plano Hosts Son of Famous Holocaust Survivor, Awards the Florence Shapiro Distinguished Leadership Award

PLANO, TX – Chabad of Plano/Collin County hosted Elisha Wiesel, the son of the famous Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, for a free virtual community event on Sunday and awarded the Florence Shapiro Distinguished Leadership Award to a dedicated public affairs director at H-E-B/Central Market.

The event, called “The Legacy of Elie Wiesel Through the Eyes of his Son, Elisha Wiesel,” took place on March 21 from 7:30-8:30 p.m.

Rabbi Block, executive director of Chabad of Plano, said he started hosting annual evenings for the community about 25 years ago. But this event, in particular, had a special place in his heart because it came during a time when we are living in “a very tense climate.”

Between COVID-19, the 2020 election, and the lack of face-to-face human interaction, Block said Elisha’s message was vital for the community to hear.

“I feel that it was a very important time for someone like this who had a first-row seat to one of the most influential personalities of our time to share with us this message of peace in the home, of understanding our children and what they’re going through, understanding each other, looking for more tolerance and more appreciation for what each and every one of us brings to the table,” Block said.

Elisha Wiesel was Elie’s only child. Elie was a Nobel-Prize winner, teacher and activist known for his memoir Night that details his experiences as a teenager during the Holocaust. Elie and his family were forced into Nazi death camps during WWII. He survived, but his little sister and parents died.

Elie was also the founding chairman behind the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and established The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity. He died on July 2, 2016, at 87. After his passing, Elisha has worked to carry on his father’s legacy.