"Night," by Elie Wiesel Study Guide
What is the inscription over the gates of Auschwitz?
"Work is liberty!"
How old does Elie tell Mengele he is upon arrival?
"not quite fifteen yet," then "fifteen."
Where do Elie and his father sleep while on the death march?
A dilapidated brick factory.
When Elie's father won't be silent and stop calling for water, what happens?
An officer beats him to death.
What do the prisoners have to do after each hanging?
Bare their heads in respect.
To which concentration camp do the Wiesels first go?
Birkenau
Identify Akiba Drumer.
Devoutly religious co-prisoner.
While at Buchenwald, what disease does Elie's father get?
Dysentery.
Why does Idek have Elie whipped?
Elie spots Idek with a woman.
What occupation do Elie and his father claim at the camp?
Farmer.
Why does Elie have to go to the hospital after Buchenwald is liberated?
Food poisoning.
After leaving Buna, when the prisoners are sent on a death march across the country, where are they going?
Gleiwitz.
Why doesn't Elie want his father to fall asleep when they are finally allowed to rest?
He is afraid his father will give up and die if they stop.
What does Elie do while in the hospital?
He looks at himself in the mirror.
Why was Moshe the Beadle deported from Sighet?
He was a foreign Jew.
What causes the prisoners to beat Madame Scachter on the train?
Her cries were terrifying the passengers.
What is Elie's most valuable possession, which he tries to hold on to for as long as possible?
His golden tooth.
For what reason does Elie go to the camp hospital?
His right foot began to swell because of the cold.
On the way to Gleiwitz, Rabbi Eliahou loses what?
His son.
Define Zionists.
Jews supporting the recreation of the Holy Land.
Who kills who over a piece of bread while on the train to Buchenwald?
Meir kills his father.
Define Pipel.
Oberkapo's assistant.
Identify Dr. Mengele.
Officer especially. known for his brutality.
Define Kapo.
Officers in charge of supervising prisoners.
What secret does Elie learn about the young French girl at Buna?
She was a German Jew who pretended to be Aryan with falsified papers.
Where was Elie's hometown?
Sighet, Transylvania.
Identify Meir Katz.
Strong man who loses his son and grows weak.
Define Yom Kippur.
The Day of Atonement
Why did the train stop each morning?
The dead were being unloaded.
What event causes Elie to lose his faith in God?
The hanging of the Dutch Oberkapo's assistant.
What happens to the prisoners every time they enter a new camp?
They are issued clothing, shaved, disinfected, beaten, and forced to run.
What decision do Elie and his father have to make when they leave Buna?
They have to decide whether or not they will be evacuated with the other prisoners.
What is the prisoner's attitude to the air raid at Buna?
They hope that the camp will go up in flames.
How would you describe the reaction of the Sighet Jews to Moshe's story?
They neither listened to nor believed his stories.
What happens to the prisoners who were left behind in Buna?
They were liberated two days after the evacuation.
After Elie sees the Rabbi, what does he pray for?
To have the strength to never abandon his father.
While in Sighet, what is Elie's greatest desire?
To study the Kabbalah.
What instrument does Juliek play?
Violin.
Define Sonder-Kommando.
Work unit.
Identify Juliek.
Young co-prisoner who plays the violin.