Night and the
Holocaust
Opening Discussion Questions
Respond to the two questions below in complete
sentences. These are the first two questions on
your handout for today.
Why is it important to respect each other’s differences?
What problems arise when we fail to respect
differences?
Question for Discussion
What historical events have happened
because someone showed little
tolerance for differences in culture,
religion or ethnicity? Record at least
three on your guided note sheet.
What do you already know?
Think about what you have already learned about this
event in history. Are you familiar with the names of
people involved? Do you understand where in the
world this happened? What were the lasting effects?
Record the facts that you know about the event on your
paper.
Then think about what unanswered questions you
have. What would you like to find the answer to as we
go throughout our unit?
Timeline of the Holocaust
1933—Hitler takes power
in Germany and slow
starts taking away civil
rights from the Jewish
1933—Hitler creates the
first concentration camp
at Dachau
Timeline of the Holocaust
1938—German soldiers
start moving a large
number of Jews into
camps throughout
Germany, Austria and
Poland. Jews are also
forced to wear the star of
David.
Timeline of the Holocaust
1940-1943 Hitler announces his
plan to kill all European Jews. He
opens five more concentration
camps, the most famous being
Auschwitz-Birkenau
The United States entered WW II
after Pearl Harbor is attacked in
1941. Americans did not realize that
Hitler was murdering thousands
when they entered the war.
1945 Hitler is defeated in May, but
over one third of the Jewish
population of the world has been
killed by the time.
Timeline of the Holocaust
After the war ended, many
remaining Jews immigrate to the
United States and Switzerland
because of their reputation for
protecting human rights..
The Author of Night—Elie Wiesel
Night is a memoir that tells the
story of Elie Wiesel, a man that
was a young boy during the
Holocaust.
A memoir is a written account
of someone’s personal
experiences. Wiesel’s memoir
tells about how he managed to
survive in the concentration
camp, Auschwitz.
Elie Wiesel
• Elie Wiesel lived in Hungary when
his family was removed from their
home and sent to concentration
camps. He and his father
managed to stay together for
almost a year before his father died
of pneumonia. His mother and
younger sisters were killed by the
Nazis soon after deportation.
Elie Wiesel--Continued
Elie Wiesel became an advocate
for promoting peace and has won
the Nobel Peace prize. He has
been interviewed many times,
including by Oprah. She selected
his book for her book club list.
As we read this memoir, we will
examine what caused his faith to
change and what helped him
survive the Holocaust when many
fellow Jews did not. Much credit
can be given to his faith.
Elie Wiesel’s Philosophy
Discussion Questions
1. Would you consider yourself a religious person?
Why or why not? How much influence does your
faith have on your daily life?
2. If you are (or if you were) a religious individual,
how would you feel if someone punished you for
having faith, or told you that you could be harmed in
some way because of it? Would it be worth
defending for you, or would you give it up. Why?
Important Terms You’ll
Find in Night
Cabbala—Jewish religious teachings, many were
passed down orally.
Mysticism—a belief in an intimate connection with God
through deep thought
Revelation—when something is revealed by God to
you regarding your faith
Talmud—a book that contains Jewish laws that can be
traced back to the year 500. Many Jewish traditions are
based on the writings found in the Talmud
Important Terms You’ll
Find in Night
Ghetto—a section of a city
designated for a certain
group of people based; many
living conditions were very
poor
Nazism—the practices of the
Nazis (Hitler’s men)
Important Terms You’ll
Find in Night
SS—a highly trained military
unit that served as Hitler’s
personal protection group
Kapo—a prisoner forced to
oversee others in the camps
Fascism—a government that
is led by a dictator that
emphasizes aggression and
racism