When Dr. Elana Heideman was eight years old, she began writing letters to author Elie Wiesel. It was after she read his book “Night,” which recounts the horrific time he spent as a child in Auschwitz and Buchenwald. She never imagined that one day she would become his protégé — and that she would be the one to organize his annual yahrtzeit in Jerusalem, this year on June 22.
Heideman is a Jewish rights activist, virtual lecturer and motivational speaker. She guides March of the Living trips in Poland for United Nations ambassadors and is an expert in Holocaust and Jewish studies. Born in the U.S., she made Aliyah in 2005, and now lives in Moshav Nes Harim in the Judean Hills outside Jerusalem with her three children.
People familiar with her work and her relationship with Wiesel often ask her what he might have said if he were alive today to witness the events of Oct. 7 and their aftermath.
“I’ll never deign to speak in his voice,” said Heideman. “However, what do I think he would have said? I think that a part of him would have wanted to say, ‘We’ve been shouting this from the rooftops again and again and nobody listens. He said it in 1967, 1973, again and again, that each time a rise in antisemitism happened, with every single war in Israel, it increased the propensity for antisemitism to be allowed under the banner of anti-Zionism.”
Heideman rarely speaks about her relationship with Wiesel, one of the most well-known Holocaust survivors. She’s never been one to namedrop or build her reputation on being “a friend of —,” or in her case, a student of the legendary author and political activist. It’s something she’s always avoided. But now, when asked how the two first met, she shares that it followed years of dreaming of studying with him — a dream that came true when she enrolled at Boston University, where Wiesel was teaching.
“I went to hear him speak at a public lecture and it was the most profound experience,” she said. “I got the opportunity to ask him a question and as a result of that question, he invited me to do my Ph.D. with him. I laughed, I was like, no way, and he said, ‘Okay, you’ll come back tomorrow.’ I came back the next day, and he said it again, and I laughed. So it was very private and personal. I had known this young Eliezer from ‘Night,’ and here I was sitting with somebody who became the world’s master.”
Heideman said that she felt tremendous honor to be working with the Nobel Peace winner. What she have built since his passing, she said, was her final opportunity to really share with the world what she inherited from him.
“It was a very, very profound experience that I’m honored to carry on. I just had this opportunity to learn with a Tzaddik, to be his protégé. It was a very profound experience that I’m just honored to carry on.”
Her study of antisemitism has enabled her to recognize dangerous patterns repeating themselves — patterns the Jewish community must urgently confront. She warns that extremist movements, from the Nazis to modern-day jihadists, have successfully infiltrated mainstream spaces, especially through social media, by uniting around one idea: blaming the Jews.
“The Nazis could never have imagined this level of success,” she said.
While she acknowledged that it can feel like a lost battle on social media due to the overwhelming volume of anti-Israel content, she emphasized that Jews must remain active — building stronger collaboration between activists and researchers to amplify even the smallest voices.
“The key to effective hasbarah [public diplomacy] is community building,” she said. “Giving people a sense of connection, knowing that they have people they believe in, knowing that there’s somebody for us, a personal friend, and they’re bringing you quality information as opposed to the lies and propaganda that they’re getting. That is where we can make real change.”
Heideman disagrees with the common criticism of Israeli “hasbarah.” She explained that the issue is not with Israel’s messaging itself, but rather with how it is received — or often ignored — by the Jewish Diaspora community. “There is no army among the Jewish world ensuring that Israel’s ‘hasbarah’ is effective,” she said. “Instead of supporting Israel’s efforts, many spend more time criticizing Israel, even while Israel is fighting multiple wars to protect the Jewish people.”
She pointed out that blaming Israel without offering solutions is unproductive. “Snarky videos and humor about Hamas are not a better hasbarah,” she said.
Equally important is uniting efforts and empowering not just high-profile influencers, but also so-called micro-influencers— everyday people with small but loyal followings. In an age of disinformation, people are searching for trusted voices, she said, and it’s up to the Jewish community to become those voices.
Through her platform, Israel Forever, she aims to create a trusted space and build what she calls “virtual citizens” of Israel — connected not just to the nation, but to its destiny.
At one point in the hour-long interview, she warned, “It’s only going to get much worse.” She explained that there is no effective leadership or strategy in place to counter the deep-rooted antisemitic indoctrination already embedded in schools, workplaces, and society at large.
“Let’s say there’s a kid who’s the only Jewish kid in his class,” she said. “We have to think a little bit more realistically about what we can do to protect ourselves, because there’s very little logistical potential for stopping this wave of violence before it will get worse.”
Heideman doesn’t believe that American Jews are prepared to fight the fight that is coming. She urges the community to shift from shock to preparedness. “We have to start realizing that preparation and security are not paranoia.”
While the brutality of the Oct. 7 attacks was horrifying, what shocks her even more is the indifference that followed. “The danger is the indifference — not only from the world toward Jewish suffering, but even from Jews toward other Jews because of differing political opinions,” she said, echoing Wiesel, who often warned against the silence of bystanders.
As she prepares for the upcoming yahrzeit, Heideman reflects on the urgency of preserving Wiesel’s legacy in a world that seems to be forgetting his voice.
“The challenge is how to carry forward Elie’s legacy, how to inherit his message, and how to draw guidance from a figure whose name is increasingly forgotten. We have a responsibility to ensure that the full breadth of his 70 years of voice is not lost to time,” said his student. “It must be honored with the same passion and strength as the voices of the parents and families of hostages, and the survivors of Oct. 7.”
When asked about her most cherished memory of Wiesel, she paused thoughtfully, reflecting on the many moments they shared over the years. Then she said, “Escorting him arm-in-arm to and from class for six years every week and hearing his voice, and I just hope I can carry that on.”
The yahrzeit for Elie Wiesel will include survivors of Oct. 7 and a Holocaust survivor. The memorial service will take place in Jerusalem on June 22, with plans to include Oct. 7 survivors in the service.
To participate in the event, click here: https://israelforever.org/events/intersection-memory-pain-purpose-october-7-elie-wiesel/
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