Night
Moishe is a poor Jew Sighet who was deeply involved with the Kabbalah(Jewish mysticism.) He became Elie’s teacher and mentor in guiding him. They’d pray together and read the same pages of the Zohar to discover the very essence of its divinity.
What is a shtibl?
A shtibl is a Hasidic house of prayer.
What did Moishe master and why did people like him?
Moishe had mastered the art of rendering himself insignificant and invisible. People liked him because he stayed out of their way. He’s described as being as awkward as a clown, with waiflike shyness and big dreamy eyes that Elie liked. He sang often, mainly chanted about God and the Kabbalah
When does the story start and how old is Elie?
The story starts in 1941 when Elie is 13.
Why did Elie’s father not want Elie to study the Kabbalah?
He wanted Elie to first study the basic subjects, believing it was too early for him to comprehend the world of mysticism.
Why does Elie cry when he prays?
He does not know why, but feels as though something in him needs to cry.
According to Moishe, how does man come closer to god? Where are true answers found?
Man comes closer to god through the questions he asks him. God answers, but we can’t understand his replies as they dwell in the depths of one’s soul until death. Real answers are found within yourself.
Why would Moishe and Elie read the same pages of the Zohar over and over again?
They reread the pages not to learn it by heart, but to discover within the very essence of divinity.
Why was Moishe expelled from Sighet? Who deported them?
He was expelled from Sighet because he was a foreign Jew. The Hungarian police deported them.
What story does Moishe tell when Elie gives him on a bench near the synagogue?
After being crammed into cattle cars, they set off to cross the Hungarian border but once in Poland, the Gestapo took over and drove them to a nearby forest (Galicia) where they were forced to dig trenches then offer their necks and die in them.
How did Moishe escape? What forest did it take place in?
He was wounded in the leg and miraculously escape. The forest was Galicia.
Who’s Malka and Tobie?
Malka was a young girl who laid dying for 3 days. Tobie was a tailor who begged to die before his sons.
Why did people not believe Moishe? How had he changed?
They thought he wanted their pity and some directly deemed him mad. The joy in his eyes was gone, he no longer sang, no longer mentioned god or the Kabbalah. He only spoke of what he has seen.
Why year is it when Moishe comes back? What happens in 1943?
Moishe came back in 1942. In 1943, the London radio would tell news of daily bombings of Germany and Stalingrad. Elie continued devoting himself to his studies, his grandfather came for Rosh Hashanah, and his mom thought it was time to find Hilda a partner.
Why did Schlomo not want to leave to Palestine?
He didn’t want to leave because he was too old to start from scratch in another distant land.
What party seized power in 1944?
The Fascist party seized power. The regent Miklos Horthy had to ask leader of Nyilas (pro Nazi party) to form a new government.
Why did the Jews of Sighet not worry about the Germans?
They thought the Germans would not come to their town, surely it was too far. They thought they’d stay in Budapest for strategic and political reasons.
What happened when the “curtain finally rose” during Passover?
On the seventh day of Passover, Germans arrested the leaders of the Jewish community and began to act with new anti-Semitic laws.
What were the Jews soon prohibited to do? Explain how they gradually lost their freedom.
They were first prohibited from leaving the house for 3 days. Then, Hungarian police made every Jew give up gold, silver, and other valuables. Then, Jews had to wear the yellow star. Soon, they couldn’t frecuente restaurants or cafes, travel by rail, attend synagogue, or be on the streets after 6.
What are ghettos? What does Elie mean by the ghettos were ruled by delusion?
Ghettos were often enclosed districts that isolated Jews from the non-Jewish population and from other Jewish communities. Here conditions were miserable. Eliezer describes the ghettos as ruled by illusion because the Jewish population clung to false hope and denied the grim reality of their impending fate, despite escalating persecution
Who is Stern?
Stern was a former shopkeeper who turned into a policeman. He interrupted Elie’s father’s opinion of the situation to tell him he was being summoned to a special meeting of the council.
What happened to the ghettos? Where were the Jews going to be taken?
They were liquidated. Jews didn’t know where they’d be taken, only the president of the Jewish council but he couldn’t tell under the threat of death from the Gestapo.
What rumors circulate among them?
That they’d be taken to brick factories in Hungary because they were too close to the front
Who was knocking at their window and why?
Friend of Shlomo, inspector of the Hungarian police. He tried warning Elie and his family for danger but by the time they opened the window, he was gone
Why does Elie begin to hate the Hungarian police?
They were their first oppressors who treated Jews as less than themselves.
What town did the Jews pass by to realize they would not stay in Hungary?
They stopped at Kaschau, a small town on the Czechoslovakian border
Who’s Mrs. Schächter and what do her visions foreshadow?
She’s a fifty year old deportee who was separated by her husband and two older sons by accident during the first transport. She stayed with her ten year old son. Her vision foreshadowed the horrors the Nazi’s were committing that the Jews would soon experience and discover, especially the fire from the burning in the crematoriums.
“Men to the left! Women to the right!” How do these words change Elie’s life forever?
It would be the last time he saw his mother and sisters.
What does a fellow inmate tell Elie and his father to lie about?
Their ages. He tells Elie to say he’s 18, and Shlomo to say he’s 40.
Why does the wind of revolt die down?
The older men begged their sons not to be foolish or give up hope, as taught their sages not to do even as the sword hangs over their heads
Who is Dr. Mengele and what is his role in the camp?
He’s a notorious doctor of Auschwitz who would pick the sick out from the healthy. He was known for his cruel, unnecessary experiments on prisoners, especially concerning twins.
Why does Elie disbelieve what he sees?
He can’t believe the world would remain silent to the suffering of the Jews especially in the 21st century
What is the Kaddish?
A Jewish prayer for the dead
At this point, what is Elie’s attitude towards God?
He felt angry, questioning why he should sanctify his name while he chose to be silent and ignore the misery of his creations
What does Night symbolize?
The Holocausts darkness, loss of innocence, suffering, despair, absence of God, spiritual and moral darkness
After reaching the barracks, what happens to the prisoners?
They were separated by those fit to work and those fit to be burned. Those fit for labor had their clothes taken, their hair shaved at the barbers, were disinfected, given stripped uniforms that were too big or small, and given a number as their new identity (Elie’s was A-7713)
Who’s Béla Katz?
Son of an important merchant in Sighet who was selected for his strength to work in the Kommando in the crematorium. He eventually had to throw his own father in the fire.
Who’s Meir Katz and Stern?
Meir Katz is a colossus who was given child’s pants, and Stern was a skinny prisoner who was in a huge jacket.
Why does the Gypsy beat Schlomo? How does Elie react and why?
Because he had a colic attack and asked politely where the bathroom was. Elie was ashamed of how he kept silent and felt helpless because days prior, he would’ve dig his nails into the man
What is the inscription above the gate of Auschwitz? What does it mean and how is it ironic?
It says Work sets you free. It’s ironic because the prisoners had no choice but to work or they’d be killed
What is Elie’s first impression of Auschwitz?
He thought it was better than Birkenau because it had cement buildings with two stories rather than wooden barracks and also had gardens here and there
What block is Elie assigned to? Why is hearing the young Pole’s words the first human words?
He was assigned to block 17. It was the first human words because he was kinder than anyone else
Who is Stein and where is he from?
Stein is the husband of Reizel, and Elie’s mother was Reizel’s aunt. He’s from Antwerp and Reizel and Elie’s mother wrote letters to one another. He was deported in 1942 and when he asked about his wife and sons, Elie lied saying they were fine.
How did Elie and his father avoid transports?
They never signed themselves up as skilled laborers
Why was their Blockalteste removed?
He was deemed too humane and the new one was ferocious
Who is Akiba drummer? What are his thoughts about God?
He’s a singer who would often speak of Gods mysterious ways, saying God was testing them and seeing if they were capable of killing the Satan within themselves. He’d say that even with God punishing them, he loved them
What camp does Elie go to after Auschwitz? What does he notice about this camp?
He goes to Buna. He notices it was empty and dead, with only a few “well-dressed” inmates wandering through the blocks
Why does the dentist check the prisoners teeth?
He checks if they have any gold crowns
What block are Elie and his father assigned to?
They were at the orchestra block. Alongside the musicians, they found that their work was in a warehouse or electrical materials and that the work wasn’t hard or dangerous
What are Jews not allowed to play?
They weren’t allowed to play German music
Who is Franeks and where does Elie first meet him?
He’s a foreman and former student of Warsaw. He met him alongside the musicians
What does Juliek warn Elie about Idek?
He warns him that Idek has fits of rage and he should stay out of his way when angered
Who’s Yossi and Tibi?
Two brothers from Czechoslovakia whose parents were killed in Birkenau. They became Elie’s friends quickly and they’d often hum melodies together
Who is Alphonse?
He’s the Blockalteste. He’s a young name with a wizened face. He was devoted to defending his block and whenever he could, he’d give extra food to the young or weak
How does Elie avoid getting his crown removed?
He tells the dentist he had a fever and was ill
What happens to the dentist?
He’s thrown in prison for having dealt the gold teeth for his own benefit. He was later hanged and Elie was happy about the news because it meant he could keep his gold tooth and exchange it in the future for food or more time to live
Who helps Elie after being beat by Idek?
A young French girl who he worked with in the warehouse
Where does Elie meet the French girl again? What does she tell him?
They reunited in Paris in the Metro. She told him she had fake papers to say she was Aryan and assigned to a forced labor unit. However, no one knew she could speak German, yet she still did so to Elie because she trusted he wouldn’t betray her
How does Elie react when Idek beats his father?
He’s angry at his father for being unable to avoid Idek’s wrath
How does Franek change when he notices Elie’s crown? How does he get his revenge on Elie for saying no?
He begins pestering him to give him his crown, becoming greedy. When Elie consulted with his father and said no, he began to beat and pick on Elie’s father for being unable to march in step with others. Soon, Elie has to give up his tooth to stop it
What is used to pull his tooth?
A rusty spoon
What does Elie catch Idek doing? How does Idek punish him?
He catches him copulating with a young Polish girl.
Idek calls him during roll call to step forward and lay on his stomach on a crate. He then delivered 25 whip lashes to his back, threatening to hurt him with 5 times the amount if he told anyone
During the raid, two cauldrons of soup are left unattended? What happens?
A man emerged from Block 37 and crawled to the cauldron. Other prisoners watched with envy, but did not admire him, as he was committing suicide for extra soup. When he reached it, he let out a dream before thrusting his head in. The man was killed.
What is the Appelplatz?
The assembly point/ roll call area.
What’s the lageralteste? How does he react to the air raid?
He’s the head of the camp. After the air raid, fear was evident on his face
What happens a week after the raid?
A young boy from Warsaw was hanged for stealing during the air raid
What do the two prisoners get in exchange for helping hang the boy?
Two bowls of soup
Who is the Oberkapo, and what is known about him?
He was a giant Dutchman who had around 700 prisoners under his command, all who loved him because he never insulted or beat anyone. He had a pipel with a beautiful face
Why were the pipel hated in Buna?
They often displayed more cruelty than their elders. Elie once saw one beat his father for not making the bed properly.
How is the pipel described? When he is hanged- a man asks a question behind Elie. What answer does he receive?
He’s described as having a beautiful face and being beloved by all. When hanged, a man asks where god is, and in his head, Elie responds saying there he was, hanging from this gallows.
On Rosh Hashanah, what is Elie angry about?
He’s angry at god, his injustice and silence. He hated god for causing thousands of children to burn, for creating the camps, for keeping crematoriums working day and night, and for choosing them to be slaughtered
On Yon Kippur, what was debated? What does Elie decide to do and why?
It was debated whether or not to fast. Some thought it was dangerous and would ensure a faster death while others believed they should fast exactly because it was dangerous, and that it would show god they were still capable of singing his praises. Elie didn’t fast because his father didn’t want him to, and because he no longer accepted gods silence. As he ate, it was his form of rebelling against God.
What block is Elie switched to for the new year?
He’s switched to the construction block where he had to haul heavy slabs of stone for 12 hours a day
What is a muselman?
A weak, extremely frail inmate
What is selection?
When doctors pick out the weak inmates from those still fit to work and send the weak to be burned/killed
What does Achtung mean?
this word was used to alert soldiers and told them to be on guard and ready for whatever was coming. Soon, civilians began to use the word on signs and was to warn people for danger coming up
What does Elie’s blockalteste give as advice for selection?
Run not walk, give yourself color, move your limbs, don’t be afraid, and don’t look at the SS
Who are the notables during selection?
The Stubenalteste, the Kapos, and the foremen.
What is the role of the bell?
It determines everything Elie does in the camp, anytime Elie imagined a better world, it was one without a bell
When Schlomo realizes his number was written down, what does he tell Elie?
He begins to tell Elie things so quickly his words were confused and his speech choked
What was Elie’s inheritance?
A knife and a spoon
How does Akiba and the rabbi react to the stress of selection? What did Akiba want Elie and the others to do for him?
Akiba lost his faith and gave up the moment it happened, accepting he’d die. The rabbi said God was gone, but immediately regretted it, saying no one could understand God’s ways
What happens to Elie’s foot in the middle of January? How is he treated?
His foot begins to swell. He had to have surgery and stay in the infirmary
In the infirmary, what advice does Elie’s neighbor give him?
To leave before the next selection
What rumors circulated about Buna two days after Elie’s operation?
That the Res Army was racing towards Buna
Who does Elie’s neighbor in the infirmary have faith in?
He has more faith in Hitler than anyone else because he’s kept all his promises to the Jewish people
What happens later that afternoon?
The Blockalteste said everyone would be evacuated and the camp became a hive of activity with people preparing for the journey
What do Elie and his father decide to do? What does Elie learn about those who stayed afterwards?
They decided to be evacuated with the others, so long as Elie could walk. However, after the war, Elie learned those who stayed in the infirmary were liberated by the Russians two days after the evacuation.
The day of evacuation, what does the Blockteste order four prisoners to do? Why?
He ordered the prisoners to clean the block for the liberating army, to let them know there lived men not pigs.
Who is Zalman? What happens to him during the march to Gleiwitz?
Zalman was a young polish boy who worked in the electrical material depot in Buna. He used to pray or meditate on a Talmudic question to escape the reality of the camp. However, during the march, he suddenly got stomach cramps and could not go in. He undid the buttons to his clothes, lowered his pants, and upon stopping, he fell to the ground. He went unnoticed by the guards and died in the snow, likely trampled to death.
What does Elie become fascinated with? Why can’t he go through with it?
He became fascinated with the idea of dying, ceasing to be. To no longer exist and no longer feel the pain on his foot, fatigues, cold, or anything else. However, his father’s presence stopped him from acting on his fascination because he was his father’s sole support.
After getting through 12 miles of now, where do the men reach?
They reached an abandoned village with empty houses, and even an empty brick factory.
What does Elie notice about his father when waken up?
He notices how much his father had aged, how his body was shriveled up, his eyes glazed over, his lips parched and decayed. He was the epitome of exhaustion.
Why is Elie’s father afraid to let him sleep?
Because if they sleep, they might never wake up
Why will Elie always remember his father’s smile in that moment? From what world did it come from?
He always remembers his smile because it was almost a symbol/flicker of hope even in the face of adversity. It may have come from a world without suffering or the persecution of others
Who is Rabbi Eliahu? What happened between him and his son?
Rabbi Eliahu was a man from a small congregation in Poland. His face radiated his innocence and he was loved by all in the camp, even the Kapos and Blockaltestes. He was the only one people still referred to as “Rabbi” in Buna. During the march from Buna, he fell behind at the rear of the column. His son noticed yet continued to run and let the distance grow wider to free himself of the burden of having a weak father and increase his own chances of survival. After this, despite his loss of faith. Elie prayed to god to give him the strength to never do what Rabbi Eliahu’s son did.
When settled into the barracks of Gleiwitz, who is underneath Elie?
Juliek
Who is Juliek? Why does he play the violin in the face of death?
He’s a young boy from Warsaw who played in the Buna orchesta. He played his violin to rebel against the Germans who prohibited a Jew to play Beethoven. He also played knowing he never would again, music offered an escape to the brutal reality, through his music he was able to maintain a connection to his identity and passion, his act highlights the resilience of the human spirit, and it was a final expression of his soul, a desperate attempt to express the fullness of his being before dying
What is described as an eerily poignant little corpse?
Juliek’s crushed violin
How many days do they stay in Gleiwitz?
They stayed for 3 days in the barracks without food or water
When Elie’s father is moved to the left for selection what does he do?
He ran to the left with him and created confusion among the guards which allowed many to switch to the right where the healthy went.
Waiting for the train after a half-hour march, how do the prisoners quench their thirst?
They used their spoons to eat snow off of each others backs.
How many were on the train at the start? At the end?
100 whittled down to 12.
When the train stops in a field, what happens?
The dead prisoners were thrown out, volunteers and gravediggers would undress them and steal their clothes. Those who were alive were happy to have more room, and everyone was apathetic. During this time, Shlomo wouldn’t wake up, and Elie began to cry and hit him to wake up when two men approached him. After some time, his father woke up once more. If he hadn’t, Elie would lose his sole reason to keep fighting. Twenty corpses were thrown out.
When German laborers saw the prisoners, what would they do?
They would toss them bread or crumbs to watch them fight over it, ready to kill for it.
When a piece of bread fell into Elie’s wagon, what happened?
A fight ensued between the men. An old man who managed to detach himself crawled away with a piece of bread under his shirt. However, when he took it out to each it, Meir, his son, began to attack him. The father implored him to stop, saying he had some for him too, but Meir ended up killing him. However, he didn’t make it far, as soon the others jumped him. By the time the fight stopped, both the father and son lay dead next to Elie who was 16 at the time.
Who is Meir Katz?
A friend of Elie’s father who worked as a gardener in Buna and occasionally brought them green veggies. Because of his strength, he was in charge of Elie’s wagon. He also saved Elie on the train to Buchenwald when his father called out to Meir while a man tried strangling Elie. However, he lost hope during the trip and remained on the train upon reaching their destination. Meir had lost his son during the first selection.
Upon arriving to Buchenwald, what did the prisoners have to do?
They had to take a hot shower, but it was hard to do so with everyone trying to do it all at once. Here, Elie’s father had chosen Death, but with great efforts, Elie convinced him to carry on.
During the alert, what did Elie do?
As the guards chased everyone into their blocks, he forget about his father. But soon, he found him hours later in the block where coffee was being distributed. His father asked him for coffee, which Elie fought hard to get him.
Why is Elie ashamed?
He was ashamed because when he lost his father, he almost felt relieved of his responsibility and could fight for his own survival. He was ashamed at having a similar thought to Rabbi Eliahu’s son.
What does Elie’s father become sick of?
Dysentery
What does Shlomo begin to do when laying sick on his cot?
He told Elie where the gold and silver were in the cellar, as if telling him all he could before death.
Returning from bread distribution what happened? Elie’s father told Elie he was being beat by a Frenchman and Pole who couldn’t stand his father because he was no longer able to drag himself out to relieve himself.
What happened a week later?
An SS was giving orders where Elie and his father were. Elie’s father called out to Elie pleading for water and the SS told him to quiet down. However, when he called for Eliezer again, he received a violent blow to the head. Despite this, he kept calling out for Elie. However, Elie was afraid to move towards him, fearing he’d be hit next. When Elie came down from his bunk from roll call. He stayed by his father until he had to sleep. It was January 28, 1945. The next day, another sick person lay on his father’s cot. While Elie was asleep, he was taken to the crematorium.
Why couldn’t Elie weep?
He was out of tears and afraid if he searched his feeble consciousness, he may have felt relieved.
How long did Elie remain in Buchenwald?
Until April 11.