Life in Sighet
This "clown" of the town became Elie’s spiritual mentor before being deported and returning with a dire warning.
Who is Moishe the Beadle?
On the train, this woman repeatedly screamed about seeing a fire that no one else could see.
Who is Madame Schächter?
Elie was told by another prisoner to lie and say he was this age to avoid immediate death.
What is eighteen? (Elie was actually fifteen).
This is the Jewish prayer for the dead that the prisoners began reciting for themselves.
What is the Kaddish?
The tattooing of the prisoner's "name" A-7713
What is dehumanization?
Before the full deportation, Jews were forced to live in these two segregated areas of Sighet.
What are the Ghettos?
The prisoners finally realized Madame Schächter’s "visions" were real when they arrived at this location and saw the chimneys.
What is Birkenau (or Auschwitz)?
Known as the "Angel of Death," this SS officer presided over the selections.
Who is Dr. Mengele?
Elie thanked God for creating this substance because it helped hide his new shoes from the guards.
What is mud?
Before the deportation, Eliezer’s life was centered on the study of the Kabbalah.
What is the loss of faith?
This was the specific piece of clothing every Jew was eventually forced to wear to identify themselves.
What is the Yellow Star of David?
To silence her, the younger men in the cattle car resorted to this physical action.
What is beating, gagging, or tying her up?
Elie claimed he was this profession, rather than a student, to seem more useful to the Nazis.
What is a farmer?
This sight, involving the youngest victims, was the first thing that truly "consumed" Elie's faith.
What is babies being thrown into the fire/crematorium?
The people of Sighet were in denial when they refused to believe Moishe’s stories of the massacres.
What is blindness?
Elie’s father was a member of this respected local group, which is why he was often the first to receive news.
What is the Jewish Council?
Upon arrival, these four words were the last Elie ever heard his mother and sister Tzipora.
What is "Women to the right!"?
This became Elie’s new "name" once it was tattooed on his left arm
What is A-7713?
The inscription on the iron gate of Auschwitz, "Arbeit Macht Frei," translates to this in English.
What is "Work makes you free"?
The physical requirement of having their hair shaved and wearing identical rags
What is dehumanization?
This many people were packed into each cattle car during the initial deportation from Sighet.
What is eighty?
Elie lied to this relative from Antwerp, telling him that his wife and children were safe.
Who is Stein?
Moishe the Beadle transforms from a holy man to a silent, broken soul.
What is the loss of faith?