“We met in Auschwitz,” says Rabbi Menashe Klein. Wearing a black Chasidic robe, tzitzit, white beard and sidelocks, Klein strikes one as Wiesel’s Old World alter ego. This is perhaps how Wiesel himself might have looked had his life, his studies, and his preoccupation with mysticism not been interrupted by history. “Somehow we got to Buchenwald and were liberated there together,” he says. “We went to France then, and Professor Wiesel attended the Sorbonne. I, on the other hand, kept dwelling in our Torah.”
Rabbi Klein, whose study in Brooklyn is also crowded with religious books, explains that Wiesel took a different path after the war as a result of the shock of his experiences during the Holocaust.
“There are people who want to do more than they can. Wiesel is one of them,” says Rabbi Klein, who, like Wiesel, goes to sleep late and wakes up early to study and write. “For Wiesel, the Nobel Peace Prize is no more than a ladder, a step, toward fulfilling a goal for which he remained alive: to do for the Jewish people.”
“What keeps Wiesel sane?” ponders Rabbi Menashe Klein, a friend from Auschwitz. “We sing together, eat together, daven together, walk together. He comes here before every holiday. Mostly we meet, we talk.” Klein says that Wiesel, who sang in a choir as a child, still loves to sing Chasidic melodies. “He would begin singing Friday night at 5:30 p.m. and wouldn’t stop until after 2 a.m.”
I happen to know his first son personally and he is not any of the above mentioned. He is a MD and a fine talmid chochom, I believe he deserves his privacy and will not disclose his name.
In the Sukkos issue of the Jewish Press, p.60, there is another interesting photo of R. Klein from the early post war period, with the Klausenberger Rebbe in Eretz Yisrael.
Note that the Jewish Press piece seems to contain errors, for example claiming that a menorah was presented by R. Klein to President Eisenhower at the White House on behalf of the Klausenberger Rebbe, rather than to candidate Eisenhower in Brooklyn on his own.
The photo seems to be from when the Klausenberger Rebbe went to establish a community in EY.
Are we going to get a hesped on R. Klein from Elie Wiesel?
ReplyDelete"A prisoner of war at Buchenwald". Is that what they used to call it?
ReplyDeleteWow, interesting re the invitation. That was however, to his first wedding, which ended in divorce. A son was born from that union.
ReplyDeleteis this the son?
ReplyDeletehttp://harmonyheartgroup.com/about-dr-mordecai-klein/
is this the son?
ReplyDeletehttp://harmonyheartgroup.com/about-dr-mordecai-klein/
is this the son?
ReplyDeletehttp://harmonyheartgroup.com/about-dr-mordecai-klein/
sorry
ReplyDeletefor the triple posting
I have no idea. Someone told me that his son is Dr. Roger Packer, an oncologist. But darned if I know if that's true.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.childrensnational.org/research/faculty/bios/cnr/packer_r.aspx
“We met in Auschwitz,” says Rabbi Menashe Klein. Wearing a black Chasidic robe, tzitzit, white beard and sidelocks, Klein strikes one as Wiesel’s Old World alter ego. This is perhaps how Wiesel himself might have looked had his life, his studies, and his preoccupation with mysticism not been interrupted by history. “Somehow we got to Buchenwald and were liberated there together,” he says. “We went to France then, and Professor Wiesel attended the Sorbonne. I, on the other hand, kept dwelling in our Torah.”
ReplyDeleteRabbi Klein, whose study in Brooklyn is also crowded with religious books, explains that Wiesel took a different path after the war as a result of the shock of his experiences during the Holocaust.
http://www.jbooks.com/interviews/index/IP_Abramowitz.htm
“There are people who want to do more than they can. Wiesel is one of them,” says Rabbi Klein, who, like Wiesel, goes to sleep late and wakes up early to study and write. “For Wiesel, the Nobel Peace Prize is no more than a ladder, a step, toward fulfilling a goal for which he remained alive: to do for the Jewish people.”
ReplyDelete“What keeps Wiesel sane?” ponders Rabbi Menashe Klein, a friend from Auschwitz. “We sing together, eat together, daven together, walk together. He comes here before every holiday. Mostly we meet, we talk.” Klein says that Wiesel, who sang in a choir as a child, still loves to sing Chasidic melodies. “He would begin singing Friday night at 5:30 p.m. and wouldn’t stop until after 2 a.m.”
http://www.geni.com/people/Menashe-klein/6000000008440974898
ReplyDeletedon't have access
I happen to know his first son personally and he is not any of the above mentioned. He is a MD and a fine talmid chochom, I believe he deserves his privacy and will not disclose his name.
ReplyDeleteIn the Sukkos issue of the Jewish Press, p.60, there is another interesting photo of R. Klein from the early post war period, with the Klausenberger Rebbe in Eretz Yisrael.
ReplyDeleteUrl for the above
ReplyDeletehttp://www.jewishpress.com/pageroute.do/50086/
Note that the Jewish Press piece seems to contain errors, for example claiming that a menorah was presented by R. Klein to President Eisenhower at the White House on behalf of the Klausenberger Rebbe, rather than to candidate Eisenhower in Brooklyn on his own.
The photo seems to be from when the Klausenberger Rebbe went to establish a community in EY.