https://padlet.com/25jabh011/d7dv47sm87z4cyud Hailey Jablonsky en-us 2022-04-18 17:01:21 UTC 2025-11-05 04:21:42 UTC hello@padlet.com 25jabh011 https://padlet.com/25jabh011/d7dv47sm87z4cyud/wish/2148676901 There are many significant events that happen in this book. 
The characters described are Elie's father, a brief description of the Mother, and Elie's four siblings. Elie's mother and father run a store, and it is told that Hilda and Bea help run the store. Elie and his father ask one another why they pray, which is a significant scene since it's so personal. Moishe and Elie often speak of the Kabbalah. Not too soon after, disaster happens. Jews were shoved into cars by the Hungarian police, treated more as animals than humans. But then for days, weeks, and later months, everything was okay. The, Moishe told Elie about what happened to hi, and a few other fellow Jews. It was revealed that Moishe was not the same after, and he lost the sparkle in his eyes (so to say). As he told his stories to more and more people, they believed he had gone mad. "'Jews, listen to me! That's all I ask of you. No money. No pity. Just listen to me!' He keep shouting in synagogue.." (Wiesel 7). This quote is so significant to the plot because it's moments before things really got serious... and yet nobody took Moishe's warning. Radio's later announced different bombings in 1943. In 1944, people were more aware of the horrors of the war. People were sure that Hitler would be defeated. Elie had asked his father if they could emigrate to Palestine for refuge, yet his Father refused, claiming he was too old to start a new life. Later, news spread around Sighet about the Nazi's that had arrived in Hungarian territory. Everyone was scared and in panic, yet they still had hope. German soldiers later came, and they were revealed to be rather kind. Flashing forward to the eight days of Passover, people had gathered in their homes for prayer.... in hopes to stay safe from Germans. Later, horrifying events such as being arrested for leaving your house, and later Hungarian police breaking into Jewish homes taking anything of value. People hid their savings and jewelry in fear. Later, a new decree of wearing a yellow star was made. Later came the ghettos. At first people felt like it was a good thing, they'd be able to keep to themselves. Sometime during Shavuot, a stern was called to the council.. and the news about transports was sent out. Everyone later prepared to be transported, everyone was in panic. People were begging for water, for food. Later, everyone was spending their last nights in their houses/ghetto.. waiting for doom in a way. A Hungarian officer screamed for them to all get out on a Sunday morning for roll call. "My Father was crying. It was the first time I saw him cry. I had never thought it possible " (Wiesel 19). They were ordered to run, and when they arrived at their destination they began to pray. They went to a smaller ghetto, where it was unkempt and clearly lived in. Later, everyone went to the synagogue in preparation for whatever was next. They weren't allowed to leave the Synagogue all night, and the next morning everyone was transported into a cattle car, 80 per one, being given little to no rations. And the, they were all sent off.

]]> 2022-04-19 14:24:39 UTC https://padlet.com/25jabh011/d7dv47sm87z4cyud/wish/2148676901 25jabh011 https://padlet.com/25jabh011/d7dv47sm87z4cyud/wish/2151045774 The second section of the book is very somber and heartbreaking. To start, the book begins with everyone crammed in the cattle cars on the treacherous ride. A bit later, a German officer leads them out at Kaschau, and says the following: “If anyone goes missing, you will all be shot, like dogs” (Wisel 24). That quote stood out to me because it showed how little the Nazis cared for Jews, and the horror of it. Another moment that stood out was when Mrs. S started to go crazy, when she claimed that she saw a fire, and yet there wasn’t a fire there. This shows the effects of how detrimental hatred can be, and the horrors of it. Everyone tries to comfort her… yet she’s so far gone that she can’t be controlled and a German officer assures everyone that she’ll be “taken to a hospital car.” Later, they arrive in Birkenau and everyone is beginning to be separated from one another. Another quote that stood out to me was: “Men to the left! Women to the right” (Wiesel 29). This is yet another quote that shows the horrifying effects of indifference. Elie’s family got separated. For a while, it just shows the horrors of being split up. A Nazi asks how old Wiesel is, and the officer gets mad at him for “lying about his age.” Yet, it could be speculated that the officer was told to make them lie about their age. Everything is nightmarish, and horror takes over. Elie goes up to an SS officer and lies about his age and profession, which shows the extent of how far people would have to go for their own survival. Elie’s father begins to cry over the horrors that this war has brought, the flames, the smoke, the death. He begins to pray, and Elie seems to get angry at God for bringing this among the Jewish people. Why would He let such a horrible thing happen? Elie was later assigned to a barrack, and the men in there were angry and brutal. Everyone had to wear suits and get their heads shaved (if they weren’t sent to the gas chambers, of course.) A horrifying thing I noted was how numb everyone felt, and the fact that there was no hope whatsoever. The next morning, the men were forced to run naked to the next Barrack. They got beat, and yet Elie said he still felt nothing. Elie started to lose track of time. Yet again, everyone was moved to another Barrack, and they were told that they were going to Auschwitz, and if you don’t work in Auschwitz you die. All of this was said as they were sinken in the mud, feeling hopeless. Elie’s father needed to go to the bathroom, and as he asked he was SLAPPED by a German officer, and later crawling back on all fours… being treated as if he was an animal. Later on, Elie speaks of how he marched a half hour, this time actually in Auschwitz. Ironic signs, such as “danger of death” and other cruel remarks were described. At first Elie thought it was better than Birkenau, being bigger and having little gardens and things such as that. But, later at midnight they were told to run to another block. A man met them there and gave them slivers of hope. They were ordered into two men at a barrack, and then ordered to go back to sleep. The next day, things seemed somewhat normal. Elie got a tattoo, indicating that he “no longer had a name, but he was a number.” Once again, dehumanization. Later, Elie ran into a relative and lied about the children’s well-being, although he didn’t truly know if they were okay. As time passed, Stein visited them… but was later never seen again. And finally, once again, they went to another camp: Bura.

]]> 2022-04-20 21:53:47 UTC https://padlet.com/25jabh011/d7dv47sm87z4cyud/wish/2151045774 25jabh011 https://padlet.com/25jabh011/d7dv47sm87z4cyud/wish/2160877978 Elie and a few others arrive at Buna. The camp was dreary and unpleasant. Elie met an officer who seemed pretty decent, and got some young kids food to eat. Elie was given new clothes & assigned to a tent until he would work in a Kommando and later assigned to a block. Later, everyone agreed that Buna is a good camp. The officer in charge placed the men in quarantine for 3 days, a medical checkup, and then work.  A quote that stood out to me was when Elie asked to stay with his Father. "'All right', he said. 'I can arrange it. For a pittance: your shoes. I'll give you another pair.' I refused to give him my shoes. They were all I had left'' (Wiesel 48). This quote stood out to me because Elie held on to all he had left from his home (even his sense of HUMANITY), even if it was a pair of shoes. To continue, Elie's shoes were taken later, and he had a medical exam. On the fourth day, Kapo's appeared and rounded the men like herded cows (into whom they liked). They were led to an orchestra, and later ordered to ranks of five. Elie was speaking with the musicians, who were Jewish, and  they said that Elie was lucky. Elie said the work was easy, such as counting lightbulbs. Elie became friendly with two boys, Yossi and Tibi, and they spoke about leaving for Haifa. Elie was called to have his gold crown removed, but he faked being sick, so he was able to "come back a few days later''. Yet again, he made the same excuse. But a week or so later, the dentist was arrested and was to be put to death for taking the gold crowns for his own benefit. Elie was beaten up by Idek, and was later sent back to work. The French girl who was mentioned earlier told Elie to keep fighting, and the day for liberation will come. And even later, they meet again in France. Elie's father was beaten up, and Elie was asked for his gold tooth.  He refused, and then the officer beat up Elie's father and humiliated him. It went on for weeks, until he gave in. Frankek was nice to him again, until Polish Jews were transferred again. Later, Elie found Frankek which what I presume to be was a form of sexual violence. When Frankek noticed Elie, he beat him up. It was said that half an hour earlier than usual to stop work for roll call. Elie was beaten up by an officer, and he passed out. Once again, Elie was threatened by Idek  , Elie was told that if he were to tell anyone what he saw, there would be grave consequences. Later, out of what seemed like pure luck, while Elie and a few others had off, two cauldrons of soup surrounded many hungry individuals. A man got to it  first, and everyone felt both jealousy and fear for that man… for the fact that he got to eat more than them and yet they knew that he’d be dead. But, shockingly, he lifted his head to the rim and  dumped himself headfirst into the scolding soup, screaming, and then dead. Even later, it was being heard that the Buna factory was being bombed, it appeared to be some sort of air raid which lasted for an hour. Later, there was roll call once again and it would be revealed that now only after roll call was finished were the prisoners could have soup. A child appeared in front of the SS, which was a concern … which led to the killing of this child and two other prisoners. Everyone watched in pure horror, in pure terror as the poor child struggled and suffered for the good amount of an hour or so.]]> 2022-04-27 18:09:24 UTC https://padlet.com/25jabh011/d7dv47sm87z4cyud/wish/2160877978 25jabh011 https://padlet.com/25jabh011/d7dv47sm87z4cyud/wish/2169046719 It's Rosh Hashanah, and Elie questions God for letting the Jewish people suffer in such a cruel way. Elie also pleads for forgiveness, but as those days went on he no longer pleaded for anything. A quote that stood out to me was "My eyes had opened and I was alone, terribly alone in a world without God, without man. Without love or mercy. I was nothing but ashes now..." (Wiesel 68). This quote shows the significance of how Elie's views of God had changed due to the Holocaust, and he explains it in such a raw and emotional way. Elie sees that his father is utterly defeated. On Yom Kippur, Elie doesn't fast for his own survival. As he ate bread, he said he could feel a void opening up inside him. Selection takes place. The men all have to strip down and run. Luckily, Elie passed the selection. But the unlucky ones cried silently. The SS officer said that nothing would happen to even those whose names were written down. Elie finds his father to find that he also survived selection. A few days pass, and everything is as normal (as normal gets, of course), and later an officer comes running to say that all numbers who were called will stay in camp. It was also discovered that Elie's father's name was written without him knowing it. Elie and his father were distraught. They later stepped away from one another. When Elie came back, he saw that his father had survived the second selection, and he gave him back the cutlery his father had given him. Akiba had died, and things were so bad that everyone forgot to say Kiddish for him. Winter had arrived and things became even more unbearable. But, eventually, everyone got used to the strive. Elie had to go to the infirmary for his foot, and he saw a Hungarian Jew who was suffering from a form of dysentery. Elie was warned to leave soon, or otherwise, they'd have to "make room" for new people. Elie later had an operation and was ordered to stay for two weeks. He was given water and treated well at first. Two days later, there were rumors that the camp was to be liberated. But, the camp was to be evacuated. Many rumors went around, saying that the camp was to be blown up and the prisoners who were in the infirmary would be left behind. Elie ran to see his father, not caring about his foot. He said that he would evacuate with his father. Elie later discovered that the people in the infirmary were liberated by the Russians two days later. Hope was still alive on the last night of Buna as the Russians were heard to be close. The next morning, people were jumbled up in clothes, and many rumors began of where they were to go. An officer made some prisoners clean the block, so the liberating men thought that they "didn't live like pigs." Later, everyone was grouped into their blocks and began to march out of the camp... one by one.]]> 2022-05-03 22:50:06 UTC https://padlet.com/25jabh011/d7dv47sm87z4cyud/wish/2169046719 25jabh011 https://padlet.com/25jabh011/d7dv47sm87z4cyud/wish/2183278023 The prisoners from Buns evacuate the camp due to speculation of the Russian Army coming to liberate the camp. Elie and thousands of other prisoners are running for their lives, many getting shot if they could not keep the pace (ironic considering the ss had to switch out due to fatigue). A boy running next to Elie began to have sharp stomach pains, and gave up. Elie was dozing in/out of sleep while he was running, and people behind him told him to keep moving. Elie only runs for the sake of his father, not even for the sake of his own survival at this point. Eventually, the sun had arisen and the ss had told them they have run 20 kilometers. They run a bit longer and venture to an abandoned village, where they all huddled in an abandoned warehouse of sorts. People are dying left and right, while Elie and his father take turns sleeping, both waking each other up when they're barely on the brink of deaths doorstep. Rabbi Eliahu looks for his son, and is distraught when he cannot do so. It was believed that the Rabbis son had abandoned him, to relief himself from the burden of his own father to better the chances for his own survival. A quote that stood out to me in this scene was: "And I was glad that Rabbi Eliahu should continue to look for his beloved son. And, in spite of myself, a prayer rose in my heart, to that God in whom I no longer believed" (Wiesel, 91). The quote shows how strong the bond is between Elie and his father, and it's proven by the fact that Elie prayed to a God he didn't even believe in anymore, just to help himself believe that he wouldn't do that to his own father. Continuing, after exhausting hours of death and detriment, the prisoners arrive at the new camp: Gleiwitz. While trying to go into the barracks, people are either crushed to death or nearly crushed due to the rush of people. Fighting for air, Elie recognizes the sound of Juliek's voice, and Juliek later plays the violin, which Elie falls asleep to. After awakening, Elie finds Juliek's violin crushed, dead along with him. After three horrifying days, another selection is made. Elie's father was sent to die, and Elie ran after him. Many follow, but eventually a sense of how things were is restored.. but Elie is still able to sneak his father to the other side, to what could be considered "safety". The prisoners go to a field and are taken into cattle cars, being ordered to throw out those who were dead. Elie's father who was nearly dead was saved and awoken by Elie. 10 days go by, and everyone is living on snow. People throw bread in the cars for the joy of watching others kill one another for food. A man is beat and attacked to death by his own son, who yearns for food. Someone attempts to strangle Elie in his sleep, and Meir rescues him. But yet, even Meir is losing hope. When the train arrives, only 12 of the 100 men on the train were still alive. Meir wasn't among those who survived. Elie's father has basically given up, and he sinks into the snow and nearly dies. Elie tries and tries, but his father does not want to comply. Elie leaves his father alone, but later makes the attempt to find him. He finds him bedridden and ill, so he gives him soup and coffee. Elie has a sense of guilt due to wanting to keep the food for his own survival. Elie's father is beaten and his food is stolen by the others around him, and Elie cannot find medical help for his father. Elie is told to let his father die, and eventually Elie's father does die. Elie felt a strange sense of relief. Elie is now only surviving for food, while thousands of Jewish people are being killed due to the liberation troops approaching. Elie is liberated, but he is rushed to the hospital with food poisoning. He looks into the mirror to only see a corpse looking back at him, a shell of who he used to be.]]> 2022-05-13 18:12:11 UTC https://padlet.com/25jabh011/d7dv47sm87z4cyud/wish/2183278023