Marion Wiesel has translated fourteen of her husband’s books from French to English,
most recently the latest edition of Night, selected by Oprah Winfrey’s Book Club. She has produced many television programs, including “A Passover Haggadah,” “The World of Elie Wiesel,” and “The Oslo Concert: A Tribute to Peace.” She wrote and narrated the documentary film “Children of the Night.” Marion Wiesel passed away in early 2025.
Marion Wiesel and her husband founded The Elie Wiesel Foundation in 1987,
and she initiated the creation of the Foundation’s first Beit Tzipora Center for Study and Enrichment for Ethiopian children in Israel. The creation of a second Beit Tzipora Center followed, and the two have flourished, providing desperately needed academic help and support to over 1,000 Ethiopian-born children each year.
Marion Wiesel holds several honorary degrees,
including doctorates from Boston and Bar Ilan Universities. In 1987, France made her Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres. In 1991, President François Mitterand named her Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur. In 2000, President Jacques Chirac promoted her to Officier de la Légion d’Honneur, and in 2007 to Commandeur de la Légion d’Honneur. In 2001, President Bill Clinton presented her with the U.S. Medal of Citizenship.