USPS Honors Holocaust Survivor and Human Rights Champion
Elie Wiesel stamp joins the Distinguished Americans stamp series
The 18th stamp in the U.S. Postal Service’s Distinguished Americans series honors Elie Wiesel (1928–2016), a survivor of Nazi concentration camps whose writing about the Holocaust is forever remembered in the public consciousness. Wiesel dedicated his life to preserving the memory of the Holocaust, championing Jewish causes, and defending human rights.
When art director Ethel Kessler was assigned the stamp, she was honored.
“In my mind, Elie Wiesel is a phenomenal spokesperson for the Holocaust story, having lived it. He used his brilliant writing skills to reaffirm that everyone should live for a higher purpose.”
Kessler began approaching the stamp by doing what millions of others have done — reading his books. Throughout his career, Wiesel published dozens of works that focused on the Holocaust and the Jewish experience.
“I reread some of his books that I have on my bookshelf and have read many other times in my life,” Kessler says.
A survivor of Nazi concentration camps, Wiesel was at first reluctant to share his story before finally being convinced to write about it. But in 1960, Wiesel wrote Night, one of the most powerful personal accounts of the Holocaust. Embodying the struggle and urgency of the Holocaust, Wiesel became the voice for victims and survivors, fighting for human rights at every opportunity.
Finding the perfect Elie Wiesel stamp image
Distinguished American stamps are the smallest stamp format. Considering the small size to work with, Kessler asked herself, “How can I pack a punch with this stamp?” She realized it would come down to how evocative the image of Wiesel could be.
“One way was to find a powerful black-and-white image, with him looking directly at the stamp viewer. That gives an observer engagement, with a close crop, so there is very little extraneous detail. I hoped we could find an image that exudes humanity.”
She found that image in a 1999 photo by Sergey Bermeniev. Wiesel wears a suit and tie, with a pensive expression on his face as he looks at the viewer.
Kessler hopes his significance comes through in the stamp. “His importance as a spokesman on Jewish history cannot be overestimated,” she says.
In 1986, Wiesel was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize as a “messenger for mankind.” He and his wife, Marion, established the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity with the prize money. His remarkable body of work ensures future generations will bear witness to the Holocaust while continuing to inspire through his resilience and compassion.
Photograph by Sergey Bermeniev
