History
What is one of the camps that Elie stays at?
Name one:
Auschwitz
Birkenau
Buna
Buchenwald
What does Elie want to study in the beginning of the book and why does his father say no?
He wants to study the Kabbalah. His father thinks this mystical interpretation of Scripture is too challenging for him.
What happened to Moishe and the foreign Jews that were kicked out of Sighet?
They were taken to Hungary and made to dig their own graves and were shot.
How could you describe Elie's religious convictions at the beginning of the book?
He was very religious and wanted to study difficult Scripture.
Who at was the lady in hysterics foreshadowing and what was her name?
Her name was Mrs. Schachter and it foreshadowed people being burnt in the crematorium.
What is one of the camps Elie stays at?
Name one:
Auschwitz
Birkenau
Buna
Buchenwald
What holiday is being celebrated when the Nazis take over?
Passover
What is a ghetto and how did it work? What does the author mean that it was “ruled by delusion?”
a ghetto was where a group of people were forced to live. It was ruled by delusion in that the people did not think anything bad was going to happen to them
What did the Jewish people notice about the smell when they arrive in Auschwitz
It smelled of burning flesh.
Who is Shlomo?
Elie's father.
What was the primary purpose for Auschwitz?
extermination and experimentation
What is the cruel irony of the holiday when the Nazis attacked?
They are celebrating the deliverance of their people out of slavery in Egypt and now they are being taken over and enslaved again.
They finally realized that they were in actual danger
What does Elie remark about his father's Kaddish prayer?
The Kaddish is the Jewish prayer for the soul of the dead, but at this time, it was the first time someone prayed for themselves.
Why do Elie and his father lie about their ages?
They would appear to be of better age for maximum working ability.
What was the primary purpose for Birkenau
work
What are the two most important holidays in the Jewish calendar
Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah
Why did Elie feel mocked by the warning sign of the electrical fence? (pg. 37)
Elie finds these warning signs to be ironic, because danger is everywhere throughout the camp and there is not a single place where there is not any danger.
What is dehumanizing about tattooing or branding?
Both are ways to assign a number to use rather than a name. Branding is what we do to cattle to show ownership.
What happened to Elie's mother and sisters?
They were separated during the selection. He realized he would probably not see them again and that they were probably killed.
What are the words that hang over Auschwitz mean?
Work sets you free or Work is Liberty
What is Moishe's job?
He is a traveling preacher or beadle.
What signs of dehumanization do we see shown towards the Jewish people?
They are shot like dogs, shoved into cattle cars, called swine and leprous dogs, etc.
Why was their supervising inmate replaced?
He was too nice and the Nazis wanted order.
What are things that challenge Elie's strong faith in God now that he is in the camp?
He sees innocent children and people killed for no reason, great suffering and shame, and people worked to death. He uses the imagery of a dark flame consuming his soul.