INTRODUCTION TO NIGHT A BACKGROUND TO THE HOLOCAUST

Eliezer Wiesel 1928—present Born 9/20/1928 in Sighet, Transylvania Studied the Talmud, Hasidism, and the Cabbala as a child and teen Sighet Jews sent to Auschwitz- Birkenau in 1944 when Elie was 15 He was 16 when the war ended and he was released After the war, he refused to speak about his experience for 10 years Realized he had a duty as a survivor to let others know what happened Night was published in 1958

Married another Holocaust survivor, Marion Rose, in 1969 Became Professor of Humanities at Boston University in 1976 Honors and Awards: –Nobel Peace Prize –Freedom Cup Award –Jacob Javits Humanitarian award –Medal of Liberty –Inducted into the Academy of Achievement Continues to write and speak for peace and human rights

1. What was the Holocaust?

The systematic annihilation of 6 million Jews by the Nazi regime By 1945, 2 out of every 3 European Jews had been killed Other victims included gypsies, the handicapped, homosexuals, political dissidents, Soviet prisoners of War

2. Who were the Nazis?

The National Socialist German Workers Party An anti-Communist, anti-Semitic, racist, nationalistic group Led by Adolf Hitler– restricted basic rights such as freedom of speech, press, assembly Established a dictatorship

3. Why did the Nazis want to kill large numbers of innocent people?

The Nazis believed the Germans to be “racially superior” Jews, gypsies, and the handicapped were viewed as a threat to the “biological purity” of the German race Jews blamed for defeat in WWI, economic problems, and spread of Communism

4. How did the Nazis carry out their policy of genocide?

Jews and gypsies were initially shot in open fields 6 extermination centers created– murder by gas, disposal through cremation Victims deported to these centers from Nazi- established ghettos in Eastern Europe Many died due to starvation, forced labor, and disease

5. How did the world respond to the Holocaust?

Rumors started in 1930s-US and British gov’ts received confirmed reports in 1942 Neither country modified its refugee policy Focused more on defeating Germany than rescuing prisoners Anti-Semitic groups aided the Nazis

Themes 1.Man’s Inhumanity to Man Why are humans capable of such cruelty to each other? 2.Loss/Questioning of Faith Pay attention to how Elie’s experiences cause him to question and lose his faith in God 3.Survival How far are humans willing/capable of going in order to survive 4.Silence If God is good, why is He silent when horrible things happen? 5.Father & Son Pay attention to Elie’s relationship with his father and how it changes

The more we know, the better chance we have of preventing such an atrocity from happening again.