RECIPROCAL TEACHING: Night - Chapter 3 by Vidulin

Predicting - Orange Ballers - Alif

2021-06-02 19:17:55 UTC

- Elie may try to escape soon;

Now that he passed through the crematorium, it is possible that Elie knows his way around Auschwitz
- In the text he indirectly states the he can see the electrical barbed wire, meaning he can see points of escape that he could possibly use to try to get out

- Elie and his father may get separated soon;

In the text one of the inmate tells both Elie and his father to lie about their ages so, it may be possible that if they did not lie they would have been separated
- Knowing this, the inmate could "rat" the boy and his father out, causing them to be separated

- Elie may soon learn the fate of his mother and sister too

In the concentration camps women and children were all killed off in an instant, specifically in gas chambers to make the killing process go by quickly
- Elie has already seen how children are killed so he is aware of this but, he does not know his mother will soon vanquish in the gas and be burnt
- This will most likely be a turning point (negative sense) in the story as all of the supposed promises that the Auschwitz officer made about family's working together, will be proven false

Predicting - Orange Ballers - Nishka

2021-06-02 19:20:53 UTC

- Elie might be separated from his father due to the following context clues:
- he repeatedly is thinking about how the worst thing would be if they were separated (wanting to be in the same line as him, thinking at the barber shop, etc.)
- the mention of how Bela Katz had to place his father's body in the furnace

- His dad probably agreed with Elie when he said it was better to run into barbed wire than die a slow death in the crematorium

- The next couple chapters might include internalized fighting (within the inmates), since they were seen to have sticks and ordering the new people around

- Elie's relationship with God and religion might be significant to the story, since he was angry at God, but then started to pray when he face to face with death

Questions ~ Groggy Bears ~ Harveen

2021-06-02 19:52:05 UTC

How do communal ties affect one's likelihood of survival? Are they really important?
- Being responsible for multiple people may be hazardous to you.
- Put on your own oxygen mask, before helping others.
- "Strength in numbers"

What was the purpose of assigning the people numbers? How would their situation have been impacted if the Nazis had used their names? Would there be a significant difference?
- De-humanizing people
- Things we number tend to be objects
- University students being "just a number."
- Using names may have invoked emotions of compassion and empathy
- The Nazis had very strong ideas about these people, so what would change that? Is hearing a name sufficient evidence to prove to the Nazis they were human, just like them?

Predicting - The Orange Ballers - Luxmi

2021-06-02 20:02:15 UTC

The baton pointed to the left.” personification
- “The baton, once more, moved to the left” - personification
“How was it possible that men, women, and children were being burned and
that the world kept silent?” - metaphor
I predict that the energy and environment of camaraderie (running into old friends) will soon be completely dead.
I prophesy that when Elie and his father are given jobs, they will become much weaker.
Also consider that he would be separated from his father as they have lied about their ages.
There is also a chance that the Jews will be taken to the crematory when Elie might vanish into the darkness.
- He might escape but what about the remaining?

Page 33, annotated:

Clarifying - Care-ins - Mashraful

2021-06-02 20:16:33 UTC

Page 34
"Yisgadal, veyiskadash, shmey raba"

This phrase means "prayer for the dead". Elie says these words as he is being taken to an unknown location that he suspects to be the crematorium where he and his father will die. Elie was Jewish and to him these words held a lot of power. Thus, he is incredibly scared of what is to happen next. He is not only scared about what will happen to him but also his father and the other Jews.

"Never shall I forget those moments that murdered my God and my soul and turned my dream to ashes"

In this section we see a conflicted Elie. He has been a devout Jew and believed in the existence of a good and forgiving God. His faith has been torn apart by the revelation of these concentration camps. He is wondering, "what God would put humans through such pain and misery?", "Is there a god?", "if there is a god, is he good or evil?". This could also be foreshadowing Elie's eventual distancing from religion.

"This is what the antechamber of hell must look like"

Elie is referring to the barracks which he observes to be very long. An antechamber is a small room which leads to the main room. In this section he is doing two things: allowing the reader to visualize the size of the room, and attributing the room with what he feels it to be like. First of all by calling it an "antechamber" he now tells us that the room is quite small. The fact that he called it "hell" allows the reader to perceive the emotion that Elie feels toward it. He describes it as "hell" due to the fact that the amount of Aushwitz he has seen is nothing less than a hellish environment where people are sent to be tortured and ultimately die.

Predicting/Annotating - Orange Ballers - Kushal

2021-06-02 20:30:08 UTC

- I predict the inmate will fight amongst themselves in a survival of the fittest situation, fighting for rations.

They have already shown violence when Mrs. Schacter was shouting in the train.
The violence in the train was largely due to the situation draining the patience of the people. There was a lack of food, space, air and water, resulting in extreme discomfort.
Now conditions have only worsened. People are beaten, killed, and fed very little food.
Inmates have a lack of patience, and the slightest conflict can result into a big fight.
This lack of patience is shown on page 30, the text stated "'why have you come here? Tell me, why?' Someone dared to reply: 'What do you think? That we came here of our own free will? That we asked to come here?' The other seemed ready to kill him: 'Shut up, you moron, or I'll tear you to pieces! You should have hanged yourselves rather than come here. Didn't you know what was in store for you here in Auschwitz? You didn't know? In 1944?'"
This might be a big event in the story, and may even be apart of the climax. This is because the fight may provide some inmates with the opportunity to escape.

Annotations (Page 31): https://docs.google.com/document/d/1D5bGxRxoMhlf8Zw_CTaXA74bZjdbbPr4WQ3qdv6ZY_M/edit?usp=sharing

Summarizing - Squishy Squids - Rishabh Bhatia

2021-06-02 20:51:30 UTC

There are many changes in Elie's life that all happen in rapid succession. Firstly, Elie's mother and younger sister get separated and Elie knows that this will be the last time that they will see each other. When Elie is put in the camp of Birkenau he is stripped from all of his clothing besides a belt and his shoes which he had to hide. He is then brought to Auschwitz which is much better than Birkenau as they are treated better and they get to rest. This doesn't last very long as the person in charge changes and is described as ferocious by Elie. To end the chapter, Elie is being transported to the next camp called Buna, unaware if this one will be better or worse than the one before. In summary, this chapter introduces the concept of brutality and inhumane acts that the prisoners had to witness at concentration camps. We learn about how they escaped death (lying about their age), how prisoners helped each other, how family members learned about their deceased loved ones. We also saw how being a prisoner could completely strip you of the will to live, the ability to keep going, when you are a prisoner you are barely a human and you are treated as objects.

Summary of the setting:

After arriving at Auschwitz station, the Jews begin at the processing centre of the camp known as Camp Birkenau. The following location of the Jews depends upon their strength and usefulness as the stronger such as Eliezer and his father move into the work camp while the weaker such as his sister and mother are tragically sent to the crematorium. Before going to the work camp, Eliezer and his father are sent to the barracks where they are given a chance to cleanse themselves and put on prison attire. They then go from Birkenau back to Auschwitz for a 3-week period as the introductory process continues for them.

Questions - Groggy Bears - Avneet

2021-06-02 20:59:29 UTC

Questions related to literary techniques in the story:
1. From the following passage, why do you think the narrator chose to repeat "Never shall I forget" several times after this? How was it significant to the story?

--> "Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, that turned my life into one long night seven times sealed.
Never shall I forget the small faces of the children whose bodies I saw transformed into smoke under a silent sky."

2. Does this chapter provide further insight as to why you think the book's title is "Night"?

More open-ended questions:
1. The man who was aggressively warning Elie and his father when they entered the camp seemed to have a similar approach as Mrs. Shächter (slightly hysterical, panicked, of course for good reason). Why didn't Elie describe him as a madman or crazy?

2. When headed to the barracks, why does Elie's father suddenly remind Elie of Mrs. Shächter?

--> "No. Two steps from the pit, we were ordered to turn left and herded into barracks. I squeezed my father's hand. He said: "Do you remember Mrs. Shächter, in the train?""

3. From the following passage, when people are trying to justify what is happening to them by talking about God, what does "killing the Satan within ourselves" refer to? Does this allude to our conversation about humans becoming "crazy" animals?

--> "God is testing us. He wants to see whether we are capable of overcoming our base instincts, of killing the Satan within ourselves."

Summarizing - Squishy Squids - Ameena

2021-06-02 21:01:30 UTC

- Elie gets separated form his mother and sister, Elie and his father are sent to a separate area while his mother and sister are sent to the crematorium.
- Elie and his father get asked questions to determine whether or not they go to the crematorium or to the work camps. They lie and end up at the work camps.
- Elie contemplates killing himself before the Germans do. So that his death is quicker.
- Elie begins to question God. He begins to questions if there even was one, why was he putting them through so mush misery. This is important because in the previous chapters we can see that Elie is quite devoted to his religion.
- The Jews have their clothes taken as well as their hair and if a Jew had a new pair of shoes, that would be taken as well.
- A German soldier strikes Elies father. Elie is mad at himself for letting it happen.
- Elies begins life in the concentration camps. He falls into the routine. He becomes A-7713.
- A relative named Stein recognizes the Weisels and asks if anyone has seen his family. Elie lies to him and tells him that they are fine.
- Elie and his father are moved to a new camp, Buna.
🐙

Clarifying - Care-ins - Bharat

2021-06-02 21:02:32 UTC

Harangue: A discourse which someone in a critical manner.

Context: the SS officer had come in to talk with the Jews, so he gave them a critical talk in the barrack.

We were told to roll up our left sleeves and file past the table. The three "veteran" prisoners, needles in hand, tattooed numbers on our left arms. I became A-7713. From then on, I had no other name.

In the holocaust there was a significant number of Jews being put in concentration camps. There had been so many people in concentration camps that the Germans had to give each Jew a number. This number would be their new identity. Most of the time, the Jews were given this number over all their clothing, but they Germans had decided to change this process up and tattoo this number on to their skins.

Crematorium: It is a location where bodies are burnt into ashes (cremated)

Context: this is when the inmates are talking to Wiesel and are explaining what the concentration camp is like.

Questions- Groggy Bears- Laxsana

2021-06-02 23:51:44 UTC

Open-Ended Questions

" The baton pointed to the left. I took half a step forward. I first wanted to see where they would send my father. Were her to have gone to the right, I would have run after him."

Do you think Eliezer would actually run after his father if he was sent to the right? If they were separated, who do you think Eliezer would have wanted to go to the work camp, him or his father? Do you think its better to suffer with company or suffer alone and know that your friend/family is happy?

"I knew nothing about them... Since 1940, my mother had not received a single letter from them. But I lied: "Yes, my mother did hear from them. Reizel is fine. So are the children..."

Was what Eliezer did moral? Should you lie to someone for their happiness? How far should someone go when spreading a white lie?

"My father had just been struck, in front of me, and I had not even blinked. I had watched and kept silent. Only yesterday, I would have dug my nails into this criminal's flesh. Had I changed that much? So fast?

How has the concentration camps affected Eliezer's mental strength? Should you disobey authority when they are in the wrong? What if it puts you at risk? What would you have done if you were in Eliezer's position?

Summarizing - Squishy Squids - Varshini

2021-06-03 00:23:57 UTC

In chapter three, the Jews arrive in Birkenau, where they go through many dangerous experiences. Firstly, Elie’s family gets separated, where Elie and his father are divided from Elie’s mother and Tzipora. In addition, one prisoner tells Elie and his father to lie about their age. He tells Elie to say he was eighteen, when he was only fifteen, and he tells Elie’s father to say that he was forty, when he was fifty. Following this event, Elie and his father, as well as other Jews, were taken to a fire pit, where they were nearly in contact with death. Afterward, they were forced to remove all of their clothing, except their belts and shoes. Then, they were shaved, forced to soak in a disinfection liquid, and then they had to take a hot shower. Additionally, the Jews were beaten by the Kapos, they had to stand in the cold and in the mud, they had to march, and the prisoners had to dig holes and carry sand. The officers also told the Jews that they must work in order to avoid being sent to the crematorium. In one part of the chapter, Elie’s father asked to use the restroom, however, he was slapped very hard that led to him falling down. Despite all of the harmful situations, they were also given very little food, which led them to be in the situation to save food for the next day. In fact, they were only given soup, black coffee, margarine, and bread, which led to severe starvation. They were also not called by their names, however, they were tattooed with a number on their arms. For example, Elie was tattooed with the number A-7713, and that was his identification. At the end of the chapter, they arrived at Buna, and an iron gate closed behind them. This foreshadows that they possibly arrived in a place where they would be forced to stay for a long time. Overall, chapter three showcases the horrible situations that the Jews experienced while they were in Birkenau.

Clarifying - Care - Ins - Ajay

2021-06-03 00:43:37 UTC

Page 35
"For us it meant true equality: nakedness "

This phrase said by Elie, tells us how all the inequalities between peoples were determined by people. Class, Race, Religion all of it were created by people and divided everyone. In the camp they were told to get rid of everything. Their clothes, valuables etc. By doing so it also rid all the differences between the people. In that sense they all had the same circumstances and therefore were truly equal.

"If vigor was that appreciated, perhaps one should try to appear sturdy? My Father thought the opposite."

In this line, Elie and his father have different thoughts on how to act during the selection process. Elie had the assumption that if one was strong and muscular, they would survive and would be treated well to a certain extent. On the other hand his father thought that one should appear weaker, so they have less work to do, and that they wouldn't do long grueling work till they die of exhastion. We learn that his father is correct from Bela Katz.

"Why had they let themselves be brought here?"

In this line, Elie is questioning why they had not tried to resist. This goes back all the way to chapter 1, when the Germans first arrived at Sighet. The citizens let them place rules, force them into ghettos, stole thier valuables and even put in cars, being threatened with death. Even with all the warning from Moishe and the request from the Maid, the continued believing in the fantasy that everything would be fine. They should have been able to read the signs, but they chose not to, and are now condemned to work until they drop dead. This why he is asking himself why had they voluntarily let themselves be brought here.

Clarifying - Care-Ins - Mariha

2021-06-03 00:53:59 UTC

Page 38
“ You are in Auschwitz. And Auschwitz is not a convalescent home. It is a concentration camp. Here you must work. If you don’t you will go straight to the chimney. To the crematorium. Work or crematorium - the choice is yours. ”

Convalescent home: A facility that has medically trained staff that delivers short-term care.

The man that came to Ellie and told him this was almost giving them a warning and description of what time spent in Auschwitz would be like for them. He was telling the Jewish not to expect any care and that they are solely there to work for them, this is why he gave them the choice of work or crematorium because if you refuse to work and do treat the camps as a convalescent home you are sure to be cremated.

Kapos: A prisoner chosen by the SS guards to help run the camp. Their position consisted of supervising forced labor from other Jewish people, as well as helping with administrative tasks.

Clarifying - The Care-Ins - Shorya

2021-06-03 01:05:55 UTC

Page 42

"Barrack"

A barrack offers housing or accommodation for soldiers in a building or series of buildings/

"Convalescent"

Convalescence essentially refers to one's health. Convalescence is the process of gradually regaining health and strength following an illness or accident.

"SS Officer"

The SS stands for Schutzstaffel, which in German means “Protective Echelon.” Echelon means “an arraignment of a body of troops with its units each somewhat to the left or right of the one in the rear like a series of steps.”

"Kommandos"

A word that was used many times throughout this chapter, Kommandos is a term used for military forces and special police in German, Dutch, and Afrikaans-speaking nations.

“Three prisoners brought a table and some medical instruments. We were told to roll up our left sleeves and file past the table. The three "veteran" prisoners, needles in hand, tattooed numbers on our left arms. I became A-7713.

In most other Nazi concentration camps, the guards sewed prisoner identification numbers on the clothes of the Jews, however, Auschwitz guards marked prisoners with permanent tattoos on their arms. The tattoos on Jewish prisoners started in 1942 and it was usually done on the left forearm, as done to Elie. These tattoos on the prisoners was a system created by the Germans in order to dehumanize them. I also believe that the Germans designed this system as a way to not feel remorse or guilt. The Germans saw the Jews as inferior so they took their names away. The Jewish prisoners were forced to memorize their identification number and when told had to recite it in German. For some religious Jews, it actually went against the Torah (the first part of the Jewish bible) to alter their bodies.

From then on, I had no other name.”

When Elie said this, there was a huge shift in the story. From then on Elie was stripped of his name, something a part of one’s identity and individuality, became just another number.

Summarizing - Squishy Squids - Ishaan Kalra

2021-06-03 02:04:03 UTC

Plot:
In this chapter, it can be noted that this is the start of a long time to come at Auschwitz. It starts off with the arrival at Birkenau where the people are taken off the train. After this, they are taken to be sorted, and in this process, his mother and sister are separated from him. An important thing to note was that Elie and his father lied about their age so they wouldn't be murdered. He was also stripped of his belt and clothes so it was known that they were imprisoned. After this, they are taken to Auschwitz which was known to be better than Birkenau, but still horrible. However, they are soon taken back to Birkenau and the ferocious person in charge switches them there. This transition so far warned us of what will happen. After this Elie was transported to another camp called Buna and he did now know how it would be.

Theme:
The theme of fear, constant stress, and confusion was introduced as they did not know what would happen to them and had to act on the spot.

Why:
It is known that these concentration camps were where Jews and other prisoners were tortured and basically worked to death. They were also stripped of everything they owned and just like property to the German Army. This would mean that everything that was happening, happened because they were transitioning into the camp and were about to lose their freedom for a long time.
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#squishysquids

Krystal - Orange Ballers - Annotating

2021-06-03 03:12:50 UTC

Page 32, annotated:

Summarizing - Squishy Squids - Jay

2021-06-03 03:52:45 UTC

When the Jews got to Auschwitz, they were in the process of being divided up. That was the last day Elie saw his mother and sister. The weak were put to death, while the others were compelled to work. In order to survive, Elie and his father purposefully gave the wrong age. Elie describes how he and others around him were unsure what fate would bring them, as well as how he felt when he saw the bodies of many others. There were times when people were forced to work in such inhumane conditions that they weren't even allowed to use the restroom. Elie's father ran across a relative. Because they worked with hazardous products, they had to become disinfected as well. Finally, all of the detainees were transferred to another camp, "Buna."

Orange Ballers: Annotating - Saachi

2021-06-03 05:06:05 UTC

I apologize if you can't read the annotations, even if you zoom in they're still a little messy!

Page 30, annotated
Invectives (annotation disappeared for some reason): insults, abusive language, criticism

Orange Ballers: Predicting - Arnav

2021-06-03 08:10:45 UTC

- "From time to time, in the middle of all that talk, a thought crossed my mind: Where is Mother right now... and Tzipora..." --> I predict that we will never see these two again. Since women an children cannot provide labour, they have a lower chance of survival.

- "No." The man now sounded angry. "Not fifty. You're forty. Do you hear? Eighteen and forty." --> I believe that overtime, the Nazis will strip the Jews os their basic human attributes. They are alrleady disreagrding their age and "assigning them an age" that is more suitable for labour. Later on, they even disregard their names. Eli's new name is "A-7713". This could not be more blatantly pointing out how dehumanizing the Nazis were. They are treating them like robots with a serial number. I predict that this will continue on and only get worse

- "We must do something. We can't let them kill us like that, like cattle in the slaughterhouse. We must revolt." --> I predict that this is foreshadowing. I think someone will attempt to revolt after having put up enough of the treatement. If this does happen, I feel like it will be highly unsuccessful; the Nazis were brutal and such acts would only encourgae more violence.

- "Never shall I forget those flames which consumed my faith forever." --> After several lines of "Never shall I forgets", I predict that this one will be a crucial one. He talks about the flames consuming his fate. Since we know Eli makes it out alive, my prediction is that his dad's fate will lamentably end with him being burned in the flames.

- "You don't know me? ... You don't recognize me. I'm your relative, Stein. Already forgotten? Stein. Stein from Antwerp. Reizel's husband. Your wife was Reizel's aunt ... She often wrote to us ...and such letters!" My father had not recognized him. --> I believe there is a deeper meaning beyond the fact that the father is up to his neck in communal affairs. I believe this symbolizes the fact that there is a lost in identity and connection. They do not recognize their own relative. I predict that throughout the book, this will worsen so much to the point that Eli will not be able to recognize himself. He may question who he his, if God himself is real (because why would he do nothing to stop the horros), what it means to be free, etc. I think this is the starting point where something such as recognizing your relatives should be fairly easy, but by the end of the book, Eli may not be able to comprehend the simplest of things.

Questions - Groggy Bears - Anaya

2021-06-03 12:09:31 UTC

“I wanted to tell [father] something, but I didn't know what.”

What could Eliezer possibly tell his father? Would he perhaps offer words of reassurance, or point out how drained his father looks?

In one point of the story Eliezer states that God is dead to him, but later thanks God for having created mud. Has Elie really given up on God or was that just an initial declaration created by fear and other negative emotions?

“We spoke of everything without mentioning who disappeared.”

Did Eliezer and the other prisoners not speak of the deceased over respect for them, or as to not bring up horrid memories to spoil the mood? This quote is said right after a good night’s sleep, so maybe they have all slept off most of their worries or the danger they are constantly in?

“At the start of the third week our blockälteste was removed, he was judged too humane.”

It can be inferred the Nazis didn’t want to treat the prisoners like human beings as they are, but why? Are they only seen as tools to complete work? Do you think strict methods will get work done faster or slower? Does installing fear into people actually make them more productive? Or does it weaken them?

Questiong - Groggy Bears - Vishal

2021-06-03 12:36:11 UTC

“An SS came toward us wielding a club. He commanded: "Men to the left! Women to the right!” Eight words spoken quietly, indifferently, without emotion. Eight simple, short words. Yet that was the moment when I left my mother.”

Why were the men and women separated? Where were the women sent after the separation? Was it possible for Elizer to meet with his mother after the separation? Would they have died trying to regroup with the mother and Tzipora?

““Hey kid, how old are you?” The man interrogating me was an inmate. I could not see his face, but his voice was weary and warm. “Fifteen.” “No. You’re eighteen.” “But I’m not,” I said. “I’m fifteen.” “Fool. Listen to what I say.” Then he asked my father, who answered: “I’m fifty.” “No.” The man now sounded angry. “Not fifty. You’re forty. Do you hear? Eighteen and forty.”

Why were they told to identify with different ages? How do they know which ages were appropriate? Why were 18 to 40 the prime ages for selection? Would they really have been killed if they used their real ages?

“Shut up, you moron, or I’ll tear you to pieces! You should have hanged yourselves rather than come here. Didn’t you know what was in store for you here in Auschwitz? You didn’t know? In 1944?”

Why did they not know about Auschwitz? Did the message never make its way back to towns such as Elizer’s? Even if they did know about Auschwitz, would they start to flee? Would they be successful in the attempt to flee?

The Orange Ballers_Predicting_Vineeth Ravi

2021-06-03 12:36:57 UTC

I predict that Ellie’s mother and sister will be killed
- The reason I think this is because he says “I didn’t know that this was the moment in time and the place where I was leaving my mother and Tzipora forever.
I predict that in the next chapter, many of the Jews that arrived with Ellie will be killed
- The reason I think this is because in the story, one of the inmates says, “You will be burned! Burned to a cinder! Turned into ashes!”
“The beloved objects that we had carried with us from place to place were now left behind in the wagon and, with them finally, our illusions
- So far the characters in the story have had bad experiences such as riding the cattle trains but it is nothing compared to what is to come. Additionally, the mood of the previous chapters were more confused and speculatory as to what is going to happen to the Jews, but I think they are soon going to be hit with the reality of the situation.
After seeing the old man get shot by one of the ss members, Ellie will have recurring anxiety that the same may happen to his father
- When the interrogator changed Ellie and his father’s ages, I think he saved them from being killed because he changed them to working ages, and therefore they could be used for labour.
“We must do something. We can’t let them kill us like that, like cattl;ein the slaughterhouse. We must revolt.”
- I predict that the Jews might start some sort of rebellion against the SS officers trying to kill them.
“”Your age?” he asked, perhaps trying to sound paternal. “I’m eighteen.” My voice was trembling.”
- Shows that Elle somewhat trusts the inmate that made him change his age. I think the inmate may be key to Ellie making it through the camp further into the story.

Summarizing- Prag

2021-06-03 12:37:15 UTC

The Jews arrived at Auschwitz and were enduring the process of selection. In this process, people were separated into groups of life and death. Those who were weak were executed whereas the others were put into harsh labour. This is the moment where Elie and his father separate from the female counterparts in their family. The females and children set sail towards the crematorium; the locality of death. Elie and his father give false ages; Elie as someone older and his father as someone younger. This lie ensures their escape from death. The Jews accompanying Elie were unsure of whether their group was sailing towards death or labour. As Elie was walking through the camp, he saw the dead bodies of young children and adults burning in the flames. He is bewildered by the inhumane acts that humans are capable of. Elie remains adherent to his father and recites prayers for the dead along with the others. This is the only occasion where the victims pray for their own deaths. Elie eventually arrives at the barracks and is disinfected with hazardous chemicals, while being stripped of their clothing and hair. The following morning, the Jews are deported to another barrack, where they are introduced to their fate, work or death. During this time Elie's father needed to use the bathroom but was abused in return by the SS officer. Elie eventually makes his way to the labour camp in Auschwitz, where conditions were superior to the standards in Birkenau. The proceeding weeks were filled with repetitive activities from taking showers, walking around the camps to devouring their habitual meals. As they learned to adapt to the new ambience the SS officers numbered the inmates, including Elie, who was classified as A-7713. A few days later, Stein, Elie's relative visited them and inquired about the presence of his wife and children. Despite knowing nothing about their presence, Elie attempts to comfort Stein by lying about their well-being. Elie ponders about the presence of his mother and sister and questions if they are still alive. Towards the denouement of the chapter, travelled to camp Buna, where they will withstand the conditions as labourers.

"As for me, I had ceased to pray. I concurred with Job! I was not denying His existence, but I doubted His absolute justice."

“God is testing us. He wants to see whether we are capable of overcoming our base instincts, of killing Satan within our-selves. We have no right to despair. And if he punishes us mercilessly, it is a sign that he loves us that much more…”

Showed us the true horrors E.g

Children being burned
Bela katz forced to place his own father's body into the furnace

Clarifying - Care-Ins - Arpit

2021-06-03 12:37:33 UTC

Definitions:

Tumult

A loud noise that breaks out in a large mass of people

Antechamber

a small room leading to a main one.

Raus

German word for “out”

Sonderkommandos

They were work units of Nazi death camp prisoners, composed almost entirely of Jews, who were forced, on threat of their own deaths, to aid with the disposal of gas chamber victims during The Holocaust.

Clarifications:

“Something was burning there. A truck drew close and unloaded its hold: small children. Babies! Yes, I did see this, with my own e y e s ... c h i l-dren thrown into the flames.”

Before the autumn of 1944, when systematic gassing of Jewish inmates was halted, all Jewish babies were killed upon birth, generally together with the mothers who were guilty of the “crime” of arriving or falling pregnant in Auschwitz. If the pregnancy was discovered before the birth, the women were killed too. Also a lot of the babies would have died due to the conditions of the camps.

“Why should I sanctify His name?”

Any action by a Jew that brings honor, respect, and glory to God is considered to be sanctification of his name.

Clarifying - Care-Ins - Devanshu

2021-06-03 12:39:18 UTC

"Arbeit macht frei"

This is a German phrase which was highlighted on the gate of camp Auschwitz. What the meaning of the phrase is that "work sets you free". There are a couple ways to look at this quote. One being that “work hard for the Nazi’s to be released”. This would be a positive way to look at this phrase although mentioned in an atmosphere where many were burned alive. The second and more negative way to perceive this was that “work for us and if you are unfit to do so, you will be released from this universe”. In other words they are being forced to work given the opportunity to live longer if they maintain good physical health. This means that quite literally, they were set free.

“Angel of Death”

The “Angel of Death” was a person in the camp who was responsible for many of the destructively innovative ideas to kill many at a time. He went by the name of Dr. Mengele, a certified “SS” doctor. Although we have not gotten too far into the book where the gas chambers are mentioned, we did take a look at them during the Elie Wisel interview. Dr. Mengele was the man responsible for this action as his “innovative” idea sadly killed thousands of innocent, Jewish people. His name in reference to his role presents an ironic statement as a doctor is supposed to give life and try to benefit those that are suffering while murderers are supposed to mercilessly kill. Since he followed this very pattern, his doctor title should be removed as he was technically just a maniac and psychopathic killer. The “Angel of Death” name suits him well as the angel symbolizes the doctor title while the death expresses his misused intelligence which was used to kill people.

“SS”

The “SS” stands for Schutzstaffel, initially just a group of individual that were pertained to protect the Nazi Party and it’s members. Eventually, this group became a part of the Nazi forces making them stronger and much more deadly. These people were the ones that were responsible for creating concentration camps during this time. Horrendous camps such as Auschwitz, where millions of Jews were assassinated were created by these groups. Using their technologically sound studies as well as medical advancements, they were able to come up with schemes that were deadlier than ever seen or used in world wars. As mentioned in the book, people such as Dr. Mengele, who was a certified “SS” doctor, made inventions such as gas chambers which negatively impacted the Jews costing over 10,000 lives of innocent, Jewish people. All in all, this was a terrifying government organization that had no ceiling nor limitations on what to do in order to gain power. This was a threat!

Questioning - Groggy Bears - Prabhpreet

2021-06-03 13:55:06 UTC

“Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed. Never shall I forget that smoke. Never shall I forget the little faces of the children, whose bodies I saw turned into wreaths of smoke beneath a silent blue sky.
Never shall I forget those flames which consumed my faith forever.
Never shall I forget that nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live. Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust. Never shall I forget these things, even if I am condemned to live as long as God Himself. Never.”

How has Eliezer's perspective on religion and god changed from chapters one to three? Do you believe he will be able to entirely abandon his faith and his heritage? Why or why not?

" 'Men to the left! Women to the right!' ... Eight words spoken quietly, indifferently, without emotion. Eight short, simple words. Yet that was the moment when I parted from my mother."

How may Eliezer's future be affected as a result of this separation? Consider the relationship between family and mental health.