LUNCHEON LECTURE with ARIEL BURGER

When he was 17, ARIEL BURGER embarked on a spiritual quest that, over the years, brought him to many teachers. Of all, Nobel Peace Prize Recipient Elie Wiesel was his greatest. In this Luncheon Lecture, Witness: Lessons from Elie Wiesel's Classroom, Dr. Burger presents the story of his long-standing relationship with Elie Wiesel, as well as lessons from Wiesel's life and legacy for today. The lecture will be followed by an audience Q&A and dialogue.  

An Orthodox-trained rabbi, Ariel received his PhD in Jewish Studies and Conflict Resolution under Elie Wiesel. A lifelong student of Professor Wiesel, Ariel served as his Teaching Fellow from 2003-2008, after which he directed education initiatives at Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston. As a Covenant Foundation grantee, Ariel develops cutting-edge arts and educational programming for adults, facilitates workshops for educators, consults to non-profits, and serves as scholar/artist-in-residence for institutions around the U.S. In 2019 Ariel was chosen as one of the Algemeiner’s Top 100 people positively influencing Jewish life today.When Ariel’s not learning or teaching, he is creating music, art, and poetry.

An accomplished scholar, Ariel Burger speaks about Elie Wiesel's legacy and its implications today. Drawing on ancient and modern Jewish and general literature, he creates moving and transformative experiences that focus on moral empowerment, creativity, and the inner life. Ariel's deep background in strategic planning complements these themes, offering both inspiration and practical application. His mission is to help counter superficiality with nuance to replace estrangement with encounterand to empower people to be creative and kind citizens of the world. At a moment when the loss of civility is eroding human connection, Rabbi Burger draws on the life and wisdom of Elie Wiesel to help promote civility and kindness.

Learn more about Rabbi Burger's book Witness: Lessons from Elie Wiesel's Classroom through this link...

Learn more about Elie Wiesel's extraordinary life through his 2003 On Being Conversation with Krista Tippett...

Learn more about Airel Burger's life experiences with Elie Wiesel in this 2021 On Being Conversation...