In his activism, teaching, and more than fifty books, the Nobel laurate Elie Wiesel (1928-2016) told us a great deal about what he’d experienced, thought, and felt. In this intimate memoir of Wiesel, Burger—a lecturer, rabbi, artist, and former student of Wiesel’s—adds new facets to this public portrait. Fifteen when he met the man who would become his mentor, Burger studied with Wiesel both in the classroom and privately, and later worked with him as his teaching assistant. He records their academic and personal conversations, letting us hear how Wiesel counseled him on matters of spirituality and faith and showing us how he lived his daily life. In sharing these inspiring and moving dialogues, Burger does more than commemorate Wiesel—he carries on his lauded tradition of testimony and witness.

Burger will be in conversation with Sarah Hurwitz, head speechwriter for Michelle Obama from 2008 to 2017, who was appointed to the United States Holocaust Memorial Council by Barack Obama after he left the White House.