You would be hard pressed to find another man who has experienced the worst that life has to give and the best, as Elie Wiesel has. Let's go backwards, shall we?

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Wiesel was attending the Durban II conference in Geneva on Tuesday April 21st when a member of Irans Ahmadinejad entourage came up and began screaming: "Zio-Nazi!" at the Holocaust survivor. You just cannot make this stuff up. Especially within the confines of the bizare conference itself which is the international conference against racisim whose keynote speaker was non other than Mr. we- don't- have -homosexuals- in- Iran Ahmadinejad himself. Of course, when he does find them, they are executed. Which may explain why he thinks they don't have any.

Also in April, a couple of weeks ago, Wiesel warned against drugs that erase memory. Turns out neuroscientists at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn have found that a single dose of an experimental drug can, in laboratory animals, block the activity of a substance that the brain apparently needs to retain much what is learned. As a man whose life purpose has been to keep alive the memories of those murdered in Germany by Hitler and to keep the Holocaust memory alive for the world, obviously he finds this spooky. He warns, "Once we risk conducting such procedures in the medical field, they may well show up in the economic, social and political realm as well. The chance of honorable intentions being abused unfortunately remains, always and everywhere."

"To forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time." Elie Wiesel.

In December of 2008, Wiesel and his wife lost their entire life savings as well as $15.2 million in assets from his foundation - the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity. How could that happen? They invested everything they had with disgraced Ponzi schemer Bernard Madoff. But stranger still was the quote attributed to Wiesel. "We gave him everything, we thought he was God, we trusted everything in his hands" I've been puzzling over that ever since I read it. How could he have survived the holocaust but still attempt to attribute God-like qualities to a man? He is 80 years old.

He continues the conversation with Conde Nast Portfolio. "And because we thought we did so well, we said, come on, we have so many projects...Everybody we know in the field of finances, they told us, come on, you can do much more, more projects because of Mr. Madoff the savior." He then goes on to say,"Madoff is one of the greatest scoundrels, thieves, liars, criminals. How did it happen? I have seen in my lifetime the problem is when the imagination of the criminal precedes that of the innocent. And Madoff had imagination...We have no idea that a person is capable of that, but then I should have learned, of course, that a human being is capable of anything."

In February of 2007, a holocaust denier named Eric Hunt attacked Wiesel at San Francisco's Argent Hotel. Wiesel thought he was being kidnapped when it happened. Hunt confronted Wiesel, 78 at the time, in an elevator and pulled him out onto the sixth floor. He fled when Wiesel began screaming. Hunt has since been released from jail and asked forgiveness. He was found guilty of false imprisonment with a hate crime allegation and two misdemeanor counts one for battery and one for elder abuse.

"The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference." Elie Wiesel.

In May of 2006, Wiesel and Oprah visited Auschwitz together in a televised show. She had promoted his book "Night", a memoir of his holocaust experience, published in 1958. He has visited Auschwitz many times. In 1990 he attempted to give a speech there.

"Years and years ago, I saw...I cannot tell you what I saw. I am afraid. I am afraid if I told you we would all break out in tears and we would not stop. I see a young girl..." then he shook his head and had to walk away.

"One person of integrity can make a difference." Elie Wiesel.

On April 22, 1993, along with Bill Clinton and Harvey Meyerhoff, he lit the eternal flame outside the Eisenhower Plaza during a dedication ceremony of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.

In 1986 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in improving the living conditions, and promoting the understanding and global acceptance of Jews. For this same reaon, Mr. Wiesel was presented with an Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 1992.

"I remember he asked his father: "Can this be true? This is the twentieth century, not the Middle Ages. Who would allow such acts to be committed? How could the world remain silent?" Elie Wiesel, taken from his Nobel Acceptance speech delivered in Oslo on December 10th, 1986.

In 1944, Wiesel and his family were transported to Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland during World War II. There, Elie's mother and youngest sister, Tzipora, died in the gas chambers. The following year, after he and his father were transferred to Buchenwald, the senior Wiesel died from starvation and dystentary. Elie did not learn that his two older sisters were alive until after the war.

"As the Jews are forced to wear the yellow star, Elie's father replies, "'The yellow star? Oh well, what of it? You don't die of it....'" Elie responds, "Poor Father! Of what then did you die?" The yellow star symbolizes the mark of distinction that sends many Jews to their deaths. In retrospect, Wiesel feels that his father and the Jews of Sighet conceded to their deaths by submitting to every German decree. With each submission, they die a bit more." Night, by Elie Wiesel.

"Terrorism must be outlawed by all civilized nations - not explained or rationalized but fought and eradicated. Nothing can, nothing will justify the murder of innocent people and helpless children." Elie Wiesel.