life ▁Aus ch witz ▁experience ▁of ▁witness ing ▁three ▁Jews ▁who , ▁close ▁to ▁death , ▁conduct ▁a ▁trial ▁against ▁God , ▁under ▁the ▁accus ation ▁that ▁He ▁has ▁been ▁opp ress ive ▁of ▁the ▁Jewish ▁people . ▁Regarding ▁his ▁personal ▁belief s , ▁Wies el ▁called ▁himself ▁an ▁ag nost ic . ▁ ▁Wies el ▁also ▁played ▁a ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁initial ▁success ▁of ▁The ▁P aint ed ▁Bird ▁by ▁Jer zy ▁Kos in ski ▁by ▁end ors ing ▁it ▁before ▁revel ations ▁that ▁the ▁book ▁was ▁fiction ▁and , ▁in ▁the ▁sense ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁presented ▁as ▁all ▁Kos in ski ' s ▁true ▁experience , ▁a ▁ho ax . ▁ ▁Wies el ▁published ▁two ▁volumes ▁of ▁mem oir s . ▁The ▁first , ▁All ▁R ivers ▁Run ▁to ▁the ▁Sea , ▁was ▁published ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 4 ▁and ▁covered ▁his ▁life ▁up ▁to ▁the ▁year ▁ 1 9 6 9 . ▁The ▁second , ▁titled ▁And ▁the ▁Sea ▁is ▁Never ▁Full ▁and ▁published ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁covered ▁the ▁years ▁from ▁ 1 9 6 9 ▁to ▁ 1 9 9 9 . ▁ ▁Political ▁activ ism ▁ ▁Wies el ▁and ▁his ▁wife , ▁Mar ion , ▁started ▁the ▁El ie ▁Wies el ▁Foundation ▁for ▁Human ity ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 6 . ▁He ▁served ▁as ▁chairman ▁of ▁the ▁President ial ▁Commission ▁on ▁the ▁Hol oca ust ▁( l ater ▁renamed ▁the ▁US ▁Hol oca ust ▁Memorial ▁Council ) ▁from ▁ 1 9 7