Night by Elie Wiesel

Chapter 1 1. What was Elie interested in when he was young? 2. How did Elie and his family find out about the persecution of Jews taking place in Germany? 3. How could Elie and his family have escaped? Why didn’t they take advantage of their opportunity? 4. List at least three restrictions or injustices that were placed on the Jews in Sighet. 5. List one way in which Elie or any of his community members tried to resist these injustices/persecutions.

The Pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman was a famous Jewish piano player before the start of WWII who was forced to follow the laws and live in the ghettos of Nazi Germany during the war. His story is very similar to Elie Wiesel’s up until Elie was taken to a concentration camp. While Szpilman escaped concentration camps, his family did not and his life was hard and forever changed because of his experiences during the Holocaust.

Images from the movie

Władysław Szpilman Escaped death during the war by hiding in ghetto’s and abandoned buildings Was saved by a German soldier who later died in a prisoner-of-war camp None of Szpilman’s family who got on the train survived the extermination camp Szpilman did go back to playing piano after the war, becoming one of Poland’s most famous musicians

Chapter 2 1. Why did the Hungarian lieutenant move among the prisoners with a basket? Would you have given up your valuables? Why or why not?    2. Who was Madame Schachter? How did the other prisoners treat her?  3. What was the first thing the prisoners saw when they got to Birkenau? Do you think the Jews understood what they were seeing and smelling?

Chapter 3 1. How did Elie and his father get separated from his mother and Tzipora? Why do you think Elie dedicated this book to his mother and sister? 2. Why didn’t the younger men make an attempt to escape? What do you think would have happened if the younger men had convinced the elders to revolt? 3. Why did Elie and his father lie to Dr. Mengele? Why did Elie’s father wish Elie had gone with his mother and sister? 4. What is the Kaddish? Why didn’t Elie join his father in reciting it? 5. How did Elie become “A-7713”? What was roll call like? 6. Who was Stein? Why did Elie lie to him? Do you think he was right or wrong to do so?

Chapter 4 1. How could Elie have bribed the assistant to let him go with his father to a “good unit”? Why didn’t he? Do you think he should have? 2. Why was Elie sent to the dentist? Why was he so desperate to keep his tooth? Why did he eventually give up his tooth? 3. Why did Idek beat Elie’s father? How did Elie react? 4. Why did Elie laugh at Idek? What was the result? 5. Why do you think the Germans hanged certain prisoners rather than shooting them or killing them another way?

Chapter 5 1. Why does Elie call the prayers of the Jews in the camp a mirage? 2.Why did Elie not fast during Yom Kippur? 3. What was Dr. Mengele’s attitude during “selection”? What were Elie’s thoughts and feelings as he went through the “race”? 4. What “presents” did Elie’s father give him? Why? Why did Elie give them back? What do these items symbolize? 5. How did Elie end up in the hospital?

Chapter 6 1. What happened to Zalman? Do you think the SS are any less guilty of his death than if they had shot him? 2. How did Elie and his father help each other stay alive? 3. Why do you think Elie tells the story of Rabbi Eliahou and his son? Why do you think sons abandoned their fathers?

Survival Journal What does Elie have to do to survive the Holocaust? What specific actions or conditions have stood out to you so far? How is Elie’s experience similar or different from anything you have experienced/read/seen before?

Photo Analysis Examine the following three pictures. Then choose which of the three has the biggest impact on you and that you believe represents Chapter 7. Next, explain in a minimum of 4 sentences why you chose this photo, which event from the chapter made you choose this photo, and what similarities you observe.

1

2.

3.

1. 2. 3.

Chapter 7 1. Why did the living “rejoice” when the order came to throw out the corpses? Who was almost thrown out? What does this scene reveal about the effect concentration camp life has had on the prisoners? 2. Why didn’t Elie join the scramble for food? How were Meir Katz and his son like other fathers and sons we have seen in this book? 3. How did Meir save Elie’s life? How did Elie’s father try to save Meir’s life? Did he succeed?

“Every time we get a little closer to genetic tinkering to promote health – that’s exciting and scary” ~Dr. Alan Copperman, director of reproductive endocrinology and infertility at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City

Designer Babies

What if parents could select the traits their children would have from a catalog of options? How would you be similar/different? Gender IQ Hair and eye color Height Athleticism Musical Ability And many more

Genetic Engineering Pros Cons * Cure genetic diseases (sickle cell anemia, cystic fibrosis, hemophilia) which could improve life span and quality of life of those affected. Less diversity! Boring!!! Possible mutations Labeling of “good” and “bad” traits Loss of family traits? Children subject to trends

Chapter 8 Why is it that Elie “could have wept with rage” (100) when his father begged for rest upon arrival at Buchenwald? Why did Elie feel he was arguing “with death itself”? Why did Elie leave his father when the sirens wailed? How did he feel about this action later? Why did Elie decide to be an “invalid”? Why didn’t he see his father die? Why didn’t he cry?

Chapter 9 What were Elie’s thoughts and feelings during the months following his father’s death? What would have happened if the children had gone to the assembly place as ordered? Why did the SS flee the camp? When was Elie finally free? Why was he sent to a hospital? What is Elie’s tone in the last passage of the book? Why do you think he chose to end the book on this tone?