night ch 1-9 questions
What was Dr. Mengele's job? (p. 31)
The notorious SS officer in charge of selection at Auschwitz.
What is Buna being evacuated? (p. 80)
The red army was racing towards buna so they are being moved to another camp in Germany
What happened on April 11, 1945, to prevent Elie from evacuating Buchenwald? (p. 115)
The resistance movement in the camp, armed with guns and grenades, fought against the ss to prevent further evacuation. After two hours of fighting, the ss fled, leaving the resistance in charge of the camp. Six hours after that, the first American tank arrived.
How had Rabbi Eliahou and his son gotten separated on the run? (p. 91)
The son saw his father fall behind and ran ahead anyway; in other words, the son purposely abandoned his father.
What does Elie's doctor tell him about his surgery and recovery? (p. 80)
The surgery will hurt a little bit and he will be there for 2 weeks for proper tests
Why don't the new arrivals attempt to revolt once they hear the truth about what happens to Jews at Auschwitz? (p. 31)
The young men had knives and wanted to attack the guards, but older men convinced them not to be foolish and not to give up hope
What were Elie and his father advised to lie about during selection in order to increase their chances for survival? (p. 30)
Their age- Elie says he's 18 instead of 15; his dad says he's 40 instead of 50
What happened to those who died during the ride from Gleiwitz to Buchenwald? (p. 99)
Their bodies were undressed and then they would toss them off the cattle car
Why did Elie's father's neighbors beat him? (p. 109)
They couldn't stand him because he was no longer able to drag himself outside to relieve himself.
What job do Elie and his father perform at Buna? (p. 50)
They count bolts, bulbs, and various small electric parts
How do the inmates react to the hanging of the Dutch Oberkapo's young pipel? (p. 64)
They cry
What job was given to the strongest men to arrive at the camp? (p. 35)
They had to work in the crematoria putting dead bodies in the ovens
Upon Elie's family's arrival at Birkenau, where did Elie's mother and youngest sister, Tzipora, go? What do you think happened to them? (p. 29)
They moved to the right and are separated from Elie and his dad. They are sent to the gas chamber.
During this march, what prayer do the men say? What is Elie thinking as he listens to them pray? (p. 33)
They pray Kaddish, the prayer for the dead. Elie is thinking that he has no reason to sanctify or thank God.
Upon liberation, what were the prisoners thinking about? What were they not thinking about? (p. 115)
They thought about food, not revenge
Why did Elie and his father choose to evacuate, rather than stay in the infirmary? (p. 81-82)
They were afraid that if they stayed behind, they would be killed
How do the prisoners feel about the bombing at Buna? (p. 60)
They were happy and hopeful that the war would soon be over
What happened to the prisoners who stayed in the infirmary while the rest of the camp evacuated? (p. 82
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? (p. 85)
They were shot and left behind or trampled by the other Jews
Describe how the prisoners were physically prepared for camp entry. (p. 35-37)
They were stripped, shaved, soaked in disinfectant, put into hot showers, and eventually given prison clothing
Why is their reaction so different in this case compared to the other hangings they have witnessed? (p. 64)
This victim was young, well-liked, and did not die right away
Describe what happened at Buchenwald between April 5 - April 10, 1945. (p. 114)
Thousands of inmates were evacuated each day and no one was given any food
What did the Blockäleste command the men to do one hour before evacuation, and why? (p. 84)
To mop the floor
What promise did Akiba Drumer's friends make to him before he died? Why didn't they keep their promise? (p. 77)
To say kaddish. They forgot because of the beatings, hard work, and little food
What advice does the Blockalteste give Elie? (p. 110-111)
To stop sharing his food with his father and take his fathers rations instead
What are the sleeping accommodations like in the camp? (p. 41)
Two people sleep in each bunk
Why is Buna considered a "paradise" now, compared to two years ago? (p. 70) (NOTE: There are SEVERAL reasons, so include all of them.)
Two years ago, there was no water, no blankets ( even in the freezing cold), less soup and bread. The work was harder. Hundreds of people died each day. 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? (p. 96)
When Elie's 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.
What were the benefits of being in the infirmary? What was the biggest danger? (p. 78)
White sheets, Better bread, thicker soup, no more bell, no more roll call, no more work, he was able to send his father a piece of bread from time to time. selection
What does the inscription ("Arbeit Macht Frei") on the iron gate of Auschwitz mean? (p. 40)
Work makes you free
What "choice" does the SS officer in the Gypsy camp tell the prisoners that they have when he explains to them their fate at Auschwitz? (p. 39)
Work or the crematorium
What was Elie thinking as he when it was his turn to go through selection? (p. 72)
You are too skinny. You are too weak. You are good for the ovens.
Who had knocked on the sealed window in Elie's house? What was they likely trying to tell the Wiesel family? (p. 14)
an inspector of Hungarian police, a friend of Mr. Weisel, had likely come to warn them of danger so that they could flee
What gets left on the cattle cars? (p. 28)
everyone's belongings
On the third night in the cattle car, what did Madame Schachter claim to see? Did anyone else see it? (p. 24-25)
fire;no
What kind of music are the Jewish inmates that make up the orchestra forbidden to play? (p. 49)
german music
What thought does Elie have when he goes to look for his father? How does this make him feel? (p. 106)
he thinks that if he didn't find his father, he'd be relived of the responsibility of taking care of him and could use all his strength to fight for his own survival. He's instantly ashamed of thinking this
What happened to Moishe while he was away from Sighet? (p. 6)
he witnessed men being shot and left to die in trenches, which they had dug for themselves, and he saw babies thrown into the air and being used as targets. he was shot in the leg and survived by pretending to be dead
Who is traveling with Madame Schachter? (p. 24)
her 10 year old son
Describe the conditions of the evacuation march out of Buna? (p. 85)
it was cold and windy, late at night, they were forced to run by hundreds of SS officers with guns and police dogs
What edicts (laws) were established by the Germans for the Jews of Sighet? (pp. 10-11)
jews could not leave their house for 3 days under penalty of death, were forbidden to own gold, jewelry, or other valuables, had to wear the yellow star, and could not go to restaurants, travel by rail, attend synagogue, or be on the streets after 6 pm
According to Elie, why had Madame Schachter lost her mind? (p. 24)
she had been separated from her husband and two older sons when they were deported with the first transport by mistake
What offer did Maria make to the Wiesels? What was Mr. Wiesels' reaction to her offer? (p. 20)
she offered them a chance to escape and live secretly with her. he refused to go but told Elie and his older sisters that they could go if they wanted.
What were the conditions on the cattle car used to transport Elie and his family out of Sighet? (p. 22)
the cattle car was filled with 80 people, so there was no room to lie down and rest. There is barely any air to breathe, food to eat, or water to drink.
Where do the others in the cattle car want to send Madame Schachter? What do you THINK happens to people who go there? (Guess the 2nd question.) (p. 28)
the hospital car; they are brought straight to the gas chamber
What are the Jews of Sighet's initial reaction to the arrival of German soldiers in their town? (pp. 9-10)
the jews did not feel threatened by them. they thought they were distant but polite
What terrible news did Elie's father learn in his council meeting? (p. 13)
the jews would be transported out of the ghetto starting the next day
What promising information do the two men from the cattle car share with the others? (p. 27)
the labor camp conditions were good: families would be kept together, the young would work in factories, and the old and sick would work in the fields
Where was Elie's family brought when they were expelled from their home? (p. 18)
the small ghetto
How did Moishe's experience change him? (p. 7)
there was no longer joy in his eyes, no longer sang, and he no longer spoke of God
Why are the spirits among the Jews of Sighet relatively high at the beginning of Night? (pp. 7-8)
they are hearing the news on the radio of daily bombings of Germany and predictions that the war would be over soon. also, they did not believe the Nazis could wipe out their entire race.
When no one is able to soothe Madame Schachter, what do they do to her? (p. 26)
they bound, gagged, and beat her to make her quit screaming
How did the people of Sighet react when foreign-born Jews were expelled from their city? (p. 6)
they cried watching them leave but accepted their deportation was a part of the war and soon forgot about them.
How do the Jews of Sighet react to Moishe's story? (p. 7)
they don't believe him and they think he's just trying to get attention or pity
What do the passengers in the cattle car see and smell when they arrive at the camp? (p. 28)
they see flames rising from a tall chimney and smell burning flesh
What was Elie's and his neighbors' opinion of the Sighet ghetto? (pp. 11-12)
they thought the ghettos were a good thing because the jews were among themselves and didn't have to endure the hostility of the German soldiers
How did the others in the cattle car treat Madame Schachter during the first few days of their journey? (p. 25)
they tried to calm her, reassure her, and reason with her.
How were the Jews treated when they were expelled from their homes? (p. 16)
they were beaten with rifles and clubs and they left their houses, and then they were forced to stand outside in the heat half the day without food or water
How did Elie and his family spend their last day in Sighet? (p. 22)
they were held in the synagogue for 24 hours. Men and women separated from one another. They were forbidden to go outside and had to relieve themselves inside.
Why was Elie so reluctant to give his father water? (p. 110)
"Water was the worst poison for him"
How many Jews were loaded into each cattle car departing Gleiwitz? (p. 97)
100
How many of the original 100 Jews on Elie's train were able to get off alive at Buchenwald? (p. 103)
12
How old is Elie at this time? (p. 102)
16
What did Elie see when he looked in the mirror for the first time in almost one year? (p. 115)
A corpse
What did Elie sacrifice in order to get a cot next to his father? (p. 108)
A ration of bread
What "name" does Elie go by in the concentration camp? How did he get this name? (p. 42)
A-7713; it is tattooed on his left arm
What happens the day Elie decides to stay in the block with his dad and the other sick prisoners? (p. 111)
An SS officer had ordered Elie's father to be quiet, but he kept calling out for Elie and begging for water, so the SS officer beat him on the head with a club
What advice did Elie and the other prisoners get from the Blockäleste about avoiding selection? (p. 71)
Before going into the room, they should move their limbs to give them color. Then, when selection begins, Run don't look at the SS, and don't be afraid.
What is the name of the place where they have arrived? (p. 28)
Birkenau
What were the inmates given to eat and drink? (p. 42)
Black coffee, soup, and bread
What do the prisoners eat as they await the train that would take them from Gleiwitz? (p. 96)
Bread and snow
What camp is Elie sent to at the end of this chapter? (p. 46)
Buna
What block was Elie assigned to in Buchenwald? (p. 113)
Children's block
Which Kommando (work crew) at Buna did the "veterans" say to avoid? (p. 47-48)
Construction Kommando
What advice did the young Pole in charge of Block 17 give the men? (p.41)
Don't lose hope/faith, stay strong, and help each other.
From what illness is Elie's dad suffering? (p. 108)
Dysentery
What did Elie ask his father to do in the Spring of 1944 to avoid possible danger at the hands of the Germans? How did his father react? (pp. 8-9)
Elie asks his dad to sell the family business and move to Palestine. his father refuses, saying that he's too old to start his life over.
To what Kommando was Elie now assigned, and what does he do on this Kommando? (p. 70)
Elie is now on the construction Kommando, the one he was warned about, and he hauls heavy blocks of stone for 12 hours a day.
What are Elie's thoughts and reaction when he discovers that his father is no longer in his cot? (p. 112)
Elie realizes that his father was dead and felt guilty that he hadn't answered when his father last called out Elie's name. He didn't cry because he was out of tears, and deep inside Elie felt free.
What do Elie and his father argue about shortly after their arrival at Buchenwald? (p. 105)
Elie's dad wants to sit down in the snow and rest, but Elie won't let him give up and die
For what TWO reasons did Elie NOT fast on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement? (p. 69)
Elie's father had forbidden him from fasting for fear that he would die, and Elie himself chose to eat because there was no longer any reason to fast; eating was an act of rebellion against God.
What did Franek do to get Elie to give up his gold crown? (p. 55-56)
Franek tormented and beat elie's father on a daily for not being able to march in time
How does Akiba Drumer explain why God is allowing the Jews to suffer? (p. 45)
God is testing them because he loves them so much.
Why did the Gypsy inmate in charge of Elie's barrack hit his father? (p. 39)
He asked to use the restroom
After the selection, what does Elie consider doing as he marches towards the pit of burning bodies? (p. 33)
He considers committing suicide by running into the electrified barbed wire.
How did Elie react when Idek attacked his father? (p.54)
He didn't move, kept silent, and felt anger towards his father
What crime had the well-liked Dutch Oberkapo committed? (p. 63)
He had stolen weapons
How does Elie prove to the "gravediggers" that his father was still alive? (p. 99)
He hit him repeatedly until he opens his eyes
What happened to Elie's father during the 2nd selection? (p. 76)
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? (p. 95)
He played Beethoven (german music) on his violin. The next morning, Juliek was dead and his violin was broken
What do you think happened to Stein after he learned the "real news" about his family? (p. 45)
He probably let himself die
What does Elie remember when he awakes his first morning at Buchenwald? (p. 106)
He remembers that during the alert the night before, he had followed the mob of people to the blocks and had abandoned his father.
What lie does Elie tell his relative, Stein of Antwerp? Why does he do this? (p. 44)
He says that his mother heard from Stien's wife, Reizel, recently when she hadn't. He does this to give him hope.
What happened to Meir Katz when the train reached its destination? (p. 103)
He stayed on the train to die
What is Elie's view of God and his relationship with him at this point in the book? (p. 45)
He still believes in God but no longer prays or believes in his absolute justice ( fairness)
Why did Elie's friend Zalman stop running? What does Elie think happened to him? (p. 86)
He stopped because he was getting stomach cramps. Elie thinks he was trampled by many people
How was Elie able to avoid having the camp dentist extract his gold crown? (p. 52)
He told the dentist that he was sick and would come back another day.
How did Idek punish Elie for walking in on Idek with the young Polish girl? (p. 57-58)
He was forced to lie on a crate and was whipped 25 times in front of the other prisoners until he passed out.
Once at the Gleiwitz concentration camp, how did Elie almost suffocate to death? (p. 94)
He was getting crushed by all the people he was stuck in a pile of dead and dying bodies
What happened to the camp dentist and why? (p. 52)
He was hanged because he was stealing gold teeth for his own profit
What happened to the man who tried to steal soup during an alert? (p.59)
He was shot
Why was Elie sent to a hospital three days after his liberation, and how long did he stay there? (p. 115)
He was suffering from some form of poisoning and stayed in the hospital for two weeks
Why wasn't Elie's father given any soup? What did Elie do about this? (p. 107)
He was told that he was sick and would die soon, so it would be a waste of food to feed him. When Elie hears this, he gives his father what was left of his soup.
How did Elie react when this happened? (p. 39)
He watched and kept silent
How do you think Elie's experience at Auschwitz will affect his relationship with God? (Poem "Never Shall I forget..." p. 34)
He will likely lose faith in God since he says "the flames consumed my faith forever" and will never "forget those moments that murder [his] God."
Describe Elie's feelings towards God on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. (p. 67-68)
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 there.
What was "the only thing" that stopped Elie's from giving up during the run? (p. 86-87)
His father's presence. Elie was his sole support. He didn't want to abandon him
Why was Elie admitted to the camp infirmary (hospital)? (p. 78)
His foot was swelling from the cold and he had to have surgery or else it would have to be amputated
According to Juliek, what is the one bad thing about the Kommando that Elie and his father have been assigned to? (p. 50)
Idek and his fits of madness
What does Elie think could have saved Akiba Drumer from being selected? (p. 77)
If he would have kept his faith in God he could have passed
Once they stop to rest, why does Elie's father wake him from his sleep? (p. 88)
It's dangerous to fall asleep in snow. He thinks he will die if he sleeps in the snow
What "inheritance" did Elie's father give him when he thought he was going to be killed? (p. 75)
Knife and spoon
What did Stein say was keeping him alive at Auschwitz? (p. 45)
Knowing that his wife and his sons are alive
Who saved Elie from a man who was trying to strangle him in the cattle car? (p. 102)
Meir Katz, a strong man and a friend of Elie's father.
Who is Moishe the Beadle and what is his relationship with young Elie? (pp. 3-5)
Moshie is a poor, religious man who works in the synagogue. Moshie serves as elie's spiritual mentor; together they pray, study, and discuss their faith
What do Elie and his father do during their first three weeks in Auschwitz? (p. 44)
Nothing; they slept a lot
Why were the two doctors who came to the camp unable to help Elie's dad? (p. 108-109)
One was a surgeon, and the other had only come to finish off the stick
What does Elie discover about this young woman years later? (p. 54)
She was Jewish but had passed as Aryan with false papers.
After Idek beats Elie for no reason, how does the young French woman try to comfort him? (p. 53)
She wipes the blood from his forehead, gives him bread, and tells him not to cry and ave his anger to another day.
What is Elie's father's name? (p. 102)
Shlomo
What did the Jews eat on the train ride? (p. 100)
Snow because there was no bread
What does Elie pray to God for now, despite his shattered faith? (p. 91)
So that he never does what the rabbi's son did to him
Why did the young boys at Buna get special treatment in the form of extra food? (p. 48)
Some of the camp leaders were homosexuals who sexually abused the young boys
What happens when Elie is on his way to the Appelplatz? (p. 114)
Some prisoners tell him and the others to go back to the block to avoid being shot by the Germans
What happened when bread was thrown into Elie's cattle car? (p. 101-102)
Starving men desperately fighting over the dread, and a son ends up killing his father in order to get the bread. Then, the son was killed by others for the bread
When Elie's father is near death, what secret does he tell Elie? (p. 108)
That he buried the gold and silver in the cellar
What do Elie and his father pretend to believe for each other's sake? (p. 46)
That they are alive and working in a camp
Why were the Jews moved from Gleiwitz after only three days? (p. 95-96)
The Russians were getting close to Glewitz now, so the jews needed to be moved further into Germany.
Describe the scene at the end of this chapter as the inmates await the "death march" out of Buna. (p. 84)
The bell rang, searching came on, a bunch of SS came out with police dogs, the gates opened, the first blocks began to march, they had some bread, it was dark and snowing, then began to march.
