“Never again" becomes more than a slogan: It's a prayer, a promise, a vow. There will never again be hatred, people say. Never again jail and torture. Never again the suffering of innocent people, or the shooting of starving, frightened, terrified children. And never again the glorification of base, ugly, dark violence. It's a prayer.”
Elie Wiesel's powerful statement transforms the phrase "Never again" from a mere slogan into a deeply meaningful pledge. By calling it a "prayer, a promise, a vow," Wiesel elevates the words to a moral and spiritual commitment that demands action and reflection.
The repetition of "Never again" emphasizes the universal desire to prevent future atrocities — from hatred and torture to the suffering of innocent people, especially vulnerable children. Wiesel underscores not only the physical horrors but also condemns the glorification of "base, ugly, dark violence," highlighting the importance of confronting not just the acts of cruelty but also the ideologies and cultural acceptance that enable them.
Ultimately, the quote serves as a solemn reminder that "Never again" should inspire ongoing vigilance and compassion, ensuring that humanity does not repeat its darkest mistakes.
“But because of his telling, many who did not believe have come to believe, and some who did not care have come to care. He tells the story, out of infinite pain, partly to honor the dead, but also to warn the living - to warn the living that it could happen again and that it must never happen again. Better than one heart be broken a thousand times in the retelling, he has decided, if it means that a thousand other hearts need not be broken at all. (vi)”
“It was pitch dark. I could hear only the violin, and it was as though Juliek's soul were the bow. He was playing his life. The whole of his life was gliding on the strings--his last hopes, his charred past, his extinguished future. He played as he would never play again...When I awoke, in the daylight, I could see Juliek, opposite me, slumped over, dead. Near him lay his violin, smashed, trampled, a strange overwhelming little corpse.”
“I told him that I did not believe that they could burn people in our age, that humanity would never tolerate it…”
“Friendship marks a life even more deeply than love. Love risks degenerating into obsession, friendship is never anything but sharing.”
“I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides.”
“We must choose between the violence of adults and the smiles of children, between the ugliness of hate and the will to oppose it. Between inflicting suffering and humiliation on our fellow man and offering him the solidarity and hope he deserves. Or not.”