Night 5-6

What "inheritance" did Elie's father give him when he thought he was going to be killed?

A knife and a spoon.

What advice did Elie and the other prisoners get from the Blockäleste about avoiding selection?

Before going into the room, they should move their limbs to give themselves color. Then, when selection begins, RUN, don't look at the SS, and don't be afraid.

What were the benefits of being in the infirmary? What was the danger?

Benefits: sleeping in a bed with sheets, good bread, thicker soup, no bell, no roll call, and no work. Danger: Selection

What do the prisoners eat as they await the train that would take them from Gleiwitz?

Bread and snow

What happened during Elie's surgery, and what did his doctor tell him afterwards?

Elie was operated on for one hour without being put to sleep. During surgery the doctor cut his foot to drain pus, and Elie passed out. He needed to stay in the hospital and rest for 2 weeks, but his leg was not amputated.

Why didn't Elie fast on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement? (Give two reasons.)

Elie's father had forbidden him from fasting for fear that he would die, and Elie himself chose to eat in as act of rebellion against God.

What happened to Elie's father during the 2nd selection?

He passed the 2nd selection.

What did Juliek do for his fellow Jews during their first night in Gleiwitz, and what did Elie discover the next morning?

He played his violin. Juliek was dead and his violin was broken.

What does Elie do after realizing that Rabbi Eliahou's son had purposely abandoned the his father?

He prays to God and asks him to give him the strength to never do the same thing ( abandon his father )

What did Elie's neighbor say to him about Hitler while he was recovering in the infirmary?

He says that Hitler has made it clear that he will annihilate all Jews ( they will not be rescued ), and Hitler keeps his promises.

What happened to Akiba Drumer?

He was selected for death because he had lost his faith in God.

What was Elie's main reason for continuing to run, rather than giving up?

He won't give up because he knows his father needs him

Describe Eliezer's feelings towards God on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.

He's angry at God for his treatment of the Jews. He blames God for creating the concentration camps and choosing the jews to be slaughtered.

Why was Elie admitted to the camp infirmary (hospital)?

His right foot was swollen from the cold, and he could not stand on it. The doctor told him he needed surgery.

Describe the conditions of the evacuation march out of Buna?

It was freezing cold, and the Jews were forced to run by hundreds of SS officers with guns and police dogs.

What did the Blockäleste command the men to do one hour before evacuation, and why?

Mop the floor of the camp so that the liberating army would know that they were "men and not pigs"

Once at Gleiwitz, how did Elie almost suffocate?

Someone had lain down on top of him, smothering him, and he was stuck in a pile of dead and dying bodies.

To what Kommando was Elie now assigned, and what does he do on this Kommando?

The construction Kommando - he hauls heavy blocks of stone for 12 hours a day,

How are the prisoners transported out of Gleiwitz

They are put into cattle cars - 100 people per car

When the camp was evacuated, why diad Elie choose to leave the infirmary, rather than stay there with his father?

They were afraid that if they stayed behind, they would be killed.

What happened to the prisoners who stayed in the infirmary while the rest of the camp evacuated?

They were liberated by the Russians two days after evacuation.

During the march, what happened to anyone who stopped running or fell behind the group?

They were shot

Once they stop to rest, why won't Elie and his father let themselves sleep?

They're afraid they won't wake up ( they'll die )

What Akiba Dumer's friends promise to do for him? Why didn't they keep their promise?

To say Kaddish for him in 3 days when they saw the smoke rising from the chimney. They forgot because of the beatings, hard work, and little food.

Why is Buna considered a "paradise" now, compared to two years ago?

Two years ago, there was no water, no blankets (even in the freezing cold), less soup and bread. Hundreds of people died each day. The work was harder. Selections happened every week because Kapos were forced to kill a certain number of prisoners each week.

How does Elie save his father from the selection at Gleiwitz?

When his father was sent to the left, Elie ran after him and was chased by the SS. The confusion he created allowed his father and some other men to move to the right.