The Art of Inventing Hope: Elie Wiesel’s Masterclass for Humanity

Elie Wiesel walked out of Buchenwald, one of the largest concentration camps in Germany, on April 11, 1945, the same day as the late father of journalist Howard Reich, the legendary former jazz critic for The Chicago Tribune. Reich never talked to his father or mother, both survivors, about their Holocaust experiences. But in 2001 Reich’s mother began to relive those experiences, and his quest to piece together the stories he never knew about led to his book and subsequent film, Prisoner of Her Past. Nearly a decade later, Reich sat down to interview Elie Wiesel and discovered an instant connection, which he wrote about in The Art of Inventing Hope. Reich joins us to discuss all this, plus how jazz helped him confront his family’s past.

Then, in honor of Yom HaShoah, we’re joined by Lilli Platt, AJC Senior Development Director and Director of Women's Leadership Board, who was born in a Displaced Persons (DP) camp and is the child of Holocaust survivors.

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Episode Lineup: 

(00:40) Howard Reich

(23:01) Lilli Platt

(25:29) Manya Brachear Pashman

(29:05) Seffi Kogen

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Show Notes:

Prisoner of Her Past 

The Art of Inventing Hope: Intimate Conversations with Elie Wiesel

The Four Questions in Irish, and 4 More Great Moments from AJC’s 2021 Diplomatic Seders