Who was the Jewish man that spoke at the March on Washington about silence?

Question

I'm writing an essay (due Monday) about silence. I was ready an exerpt from a quote read by the man the other day but I can't remember his name or a helpful part of the quote besides the general message for anything. Does anyone know the Jewish man that spoke at the March on Washington about silence and what it did during the Holocaust?

Answer 1

Here is a quote from Martin Niemoeller with obvious emphasis on silenced:

"First they came for the Communists,
-- but I was not a Communist so I did not speak out.
Then they came for the Socialists and the Trade Unionists,
-- but I was neither, so I did not speak out.
Then they came for the Jews,
-- but I was not a Jew so I did not speak out.
And when they came for me,
-- there was no one left to speak for me."

Als die Nazis die Kommunisten holten,
habe ich geschwiegen;
ich war ja kein Kommunist.

Als sie die Sozialdemokraten einsperrten,
habe ich geschwiegen;
ich war ja kein Sozialdemokrat.

Als sie die Gewerkschafter holten,
habe ich nicht protestiert;
ich war ja kein Gewerkschafter.

Als sie mich holten,
gab es keinen mehr, der protestierte.

". . . in a speech given by Niemöller on January 6, 1946, to the representatives of the Confessing Church in Frankfurt."

Answer 2

This is an excerpt from the speech of Ellie Wiesel about the holocaust.:

"Once upon a time, there was an emperor, and the emperor heard that in his empire there was a man, a wise man with occult powers. He had all the powers in the world. He knew when the wind was blowing what messages it would carry from one country to another. He read the clouds and he realized that the clouds had a design. He knew the meaning of that design.

He heard the birds. He understood the language of the birds; the chirping of the birds carried messages. And then he heard there was a man who also knew how to read another person's mind. I want to see him, said the emperor. They found him. They brought him to the emperor. Is it true that you know how to read the clouds? Yes, Majesty. Is it true you know the language of the birds? Yes, Majesty. What about the wind? Yes, I know. Okay, says the emperor. I have in my hands behind my back a bird. Tell me, is it alive or not?

And the wise man was so afraid that whatever he would say would be a tragedy, that if he were to say that the bird is alive, the emperor, in spite, would kill it. So he looked at the emperor for a long time, smiled, and said, Majesty, the answer is in your hands. "

http://www.memorablequotations.com/indifference.htm

Visit the website above for the whole information.

It's always in our hands.

Answer 3

Elie Wiesel. You can find tons of information about him on line!!!