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Vladek Spiegelman

A Polish Jew and Holocaust survivor, husband to Anja, father of Artie, who quit school at 14 to work and dreamed of going to America.

Anja Zylberberg

Artie's mother, Vladek's first wife, who was usually skinny and sickly, committed suicide, and came from a wealthy family with a hosiery factory.

Mala

Vladek's current wife, a Holocaust survivor who doesn't get along with Vladek, especially regarding will and finances.

Richieu Spiegelman

Anja and Vladek's first son, sent to live with Anja's sister Tosha for safety, tragically poisoned by Tosha during the war.

Moiek Merlin

A cousin of Vladek, the Chief of Jewish Police, known as a "Kombinator" or schemer, who survived the war.

Sosnowiec

A city in Poland where Vladek's parents lived, Anja lived, and where Vladek later moved to after his engagement.

Bielsko

The location of a textile factory gifted to Vladek by Anja's father, where Vladek and Anja lived at one point.

Czestochowa

A city in Poland where Vladek lived alone in a small apartment at the beginning of the story.

Tosha

Anja's older sister, who tragically killed herself and her children to save them from the Germans during the war.

Parshas Truma

A significant day for Vladek, as he was released from a POW camp on this day, coinciding with important events in his life like his marriage to Anja and Artie's birth.

Food Coupons

Ration coupons provided during wartime for the purchase of essential food items.

Legal Papers

Official documents required for identification or authorization by the government.

Black Market

Illegal trade of goods or services outside the control of the government.

Curfew

A set time by which people must be home or off the streets, enforced during emergencies or wartime.

Jewish Community Org.

Organization supporting the Jewish community with resources and assistance.

Priority Work Card

Document granting priority for employment in essential industries during wartime.

Theresienstadt

Concentration camp in Czechoslovakia where Jews were deported during World War II.

Gestapo

Nazi secret police responsible for intelligence, security, and enforcing Nazi policies.

Selection

Process of choosing individuals for deportation or forced labor during the Holocaust.

Srodula

Village where Jews from Sosnowiec were relocated during World War II.

Jewish Council

A group of Jewish community leaders appointed by the Nazis to implement their orders and regulations within the Jewish ghettos during the Holocaust.

Auschwitz

The largest Nazi concentration camp where millions of Jews and other victims were systematically killed during the Holocaust.

Bunkers

Underground hiding places constructed by Jews in ghettos to evade Nazi capture and deportation during the Holocaust.

Judenrat

The Jewish Council in the ghettos established by the Nazis to enforce their orders and manage the Jewish population.

Smuggling

The act of illegally moving people or goods, often across borders, to evade capture or persecution, as seen in attempts to escape Nazi persecution during the Holocaust.

Black Market

Illegal trade of goods or services outside of official channels, often used by persecuted individuals to obtain essential supplies during times of crisis like the Holocaust.