Thursday, March 14, 2013
Night--8th grade blog post
Night. I asked you to answer a question that another student posed. Please, when you post your answer, reference the student whose question you are answering and write out their question so we all may have the context to understand your post. Your answers must be thoughtful, based on the characters and history of the book and times. Minimum length is five good sentences. All unsatisfactory posts will be rejected, so be mindful of your thoughts and take care with your writing. Remember too, use only first names and last initial. This assignment is due Wednesday, April 30 at 8 p.m.
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Q: Why were the Germans housed in
Jewish homes before deporting them?
During the early stages of the Holocaust, the Nazis forced the Jewish populations in German-occupied areas into smaller vicinities known as ghettos. In these ghettos, the Jews were forced to abandon their homes and possessions and were crammed into smaller homes, for the purpose of “blocking off the Jewish influences from the rest of the world.” While they lived in these tight, unsanitary, demeaning ghettos, the Germans took refuge in the Jews’ former homes, where they didn’t necessarily live there, but they took all of their possessions they left in their original home and would later take the rest when they arrived at a concentration/death camp. To answer the question, the Germans were housed in the Jewish homes while they were in the ghettos for the main purpose of claiming their belongings as the first step in robbing the Jews of their own identity. Once all their possessions were taken, they would deport them to whatever concentration camp was nearby.
Question: Why did no one beleive that all of the people were being killed?
Answer: Because no one beleived that something of this proportion could happen in the world. Even today there are people all over Europe, and even in America that tell people that the massacre of the millions of Jews is just a hoax.
Question to Elie: Why do you have such a longing to learn about your Jewish religion?
Elie's Response: It gives me hope to believe in something greater than me. It drives me to do everything my best and in a way that it benefits everyone; i want to establish a good relationship with him. it makes me want to be a better person knowing someone is out there who is all mighty and gracious, looking out for me. I get a feeling deep inside me that wants to just cry. I am still trying to find out what pushes me to learn more but one thing i know for sure is that knowing more is better than not knowing anything.
-Carter Conway
Question from Alli M.
Why does Elie's Father not move to a safer place, even when it would benefit his family?
Answer: Elie's father did not move for several reasons; first, he was a leader in the town. Many people looked up to him and asked him for guidance. Second, he also had other family there. Not just ones that were related to him; he did not want to leave the people he loved. Third, he felt it was his duty to protect and guide the townspeople. He felt that this was his moral obligation.
Adrian Cabalfin question said: " Why didn't moshie keep pushing to make people believe that the Nazis were evil?They let you live there, and you don't help them"
Answer: I think that Moshie didn't want to and didn't keep telling the people that the Nozis where evil because, he knew that the people thought he was crazy/insane and that they would never believe him, they would just keep pushing him away.He wanted too but he knew that there was no use.
Ricky D.'s question was:
"What exactly is Kabbalah and what is so great about it? Why are there interests in it, and what would it help a Jewish person with?"
My response:
The Kabbalah is ancient Jewish interpretations of the Bible. It tells about the universe and life work. It teaches the Jewish religion about relationships, health, and business. Kabbalah means "receiving". The Jewish people find interests in it because this is the base of their religion. It helps people to find answers. It helps them to reflect and question the meaning of things going on in their lives.
Lexie H. asked...
"Did you have only religious studies or did you also study subjects like math and science?"
From what I researched, The early Jewish families either educated their children privately in their own homes or paid for them to be taught in private schools. There, the children would be taught the basic subjects: Literature/Reading, Mathematics, and Science. History was a very important subject in the later teaching years like college because the authorities thought that their young minds could not process and understand it all. However, Religion was an extreme delicate subject to be taught, especially to children of Elie's age. That is why Elie, in the beginning of the book, was taught some of his religious ideas by Moshe the Beadle, a figure outside of his family.
So, I have to infer that Elie did have subjects like math and science before he and his family were evacuated from their home.
Alex B. said...
How come there were anti-Semitic laws and actions that were implemented by the Germans with now Jewish rebellion or resistance?
There was Jewish resistance of Semitism, but first, Semitism is the prejudiced of Jews for just being Jewish. It is a modern racial term that is always used while discussing the Holocaust. There was armed rebellion and unarmed rebellion, but it was not obvious that the Jews were rebelling. Some armed resistance was delayed until the elderly and young were deported from the ghettos, in fear that the rebel’s actions would negatively affect their families. Jewish resistance groups from France, Bulgaria, Italy and Yugoslavia were part of the thousands of Jews that fought in the forests of Slovakia and Eastern Europe for their culture, but sadly, very few Jewish people survived.
Unarmed resistance included the maintenance of Jewish culture and prayer, the building of underground libraries and orphanages. Janusz Korczak was a famous Jewish teacher who was a leader of unarmed resistance. He set up an orphanage in the Warsaw ghetto and taught the children while trying to make their lives seem normal. Eventually, he accompanied them while in dark before they were to be killed in Treblinka, so that they wouldn’t be afraid of the dark.
Megan C. asked Elie if he was scared when getting on the cattle cars, and if he knew where he was going.
We were the last group from my ghetto to get on the cattle cars. Although we had spent some time in the ghettos and had been warned by many of the dangers ahead, we were all still blinded by hope. Until our very last second, we hoped that the Nazis would be kind and were taking us to a nice place, or that the war would end before we reached our destination. I was scared, of course, but I tried to remain optimistic. I did not know where we were going. Although I had some idea that our destination was somewhere remote, some kind of camp, at first I had no idea if it would be pleasant or terrifying there. After spending a few days on the cattle cars, however, I came to realize that wherever we were going would not be enjoyable or sanitary, as the cars were certainly not.
Caroline's question was:
Do you (Elie Wiesel) regret not going to hide in the maid, Martha's village? Why did you decline her offer?
No. I do not regret staying with the rest of my family when Martha offered to take us to her village. I think that living without the presence of my family would have been worse, imagining what was happening to them. Although being in the camp was not pleasant, I learned lessons I perhaps would have never learned otherwise.
Lauren B.
Sam J. Question, " what religion was the servant and why did they turn down the offer the servant gave them."
I'm not sure what the servants religion is but I pretty sure she is not Jews. They turned down the offer because Elie father is part of the Jews community(leader) and if his people go he will go. Then the family did not want to leave him alone so the rest of the family said no too.
Jake M. asked: "Elie, how do you feel about being the only son in your family? It is hard without another boy to talk to and play with?"
(speaking as Elie)
I don't really know what it would be like to have a brother. It's not necessarily hard without another boy in the family—just different. I think it would have been fun when I was younger to talk to another boy and to have played some of the games I couldn't play with my sisters. I'm not the only man in the house, however; my dad is also there for me to talk to. All in all, I think it would be nice to have a brother, but I've lived with my sisters for fifteen years, and I've grown used to them and actually really enjoy their company.
Sophia H. asks...
"I realize that this book is of real memory, but would German soldiers come into every town and make everyone leave, just go and forget about their past and their homes?"
Hitler wanted to exterminate Europe of all Jews, so yes, all the Jews and the other people the Germans wanted exterminated. They would force them to leave their home towns and they would have to leave behind almost everything, if not everything.
Maeve asked…
“As an adult with more knowledge of the situation in the ghetto, would you agree with Elie’s description of the ghetto? What were the days like for you?"
The days in the ghetto were fidgety to say the least. As an adult, I was able to ponder to a far greater extent about my family’s future than my children, but the information we were given was the same as that told to the younger ones. When we moved into the ghetto, I felt uneasy. I was not comfortable in my new house, and I was unfamiliar with the setting. Although we were out of place, we were still able to prepare meals, pray, and we had a bed to sleep in. I often found that my children would have to sleep in my bed because they could not sleep alone, but then again, neither could I. Most adults knew of the volatile actions of the Germans and Hungarians. Hopes of protection from the Russians blossomed when people heard of the advances in forces of the German opposition, but those quickly died down when day to day life remained neutral. We had no idea what was in store for us. We had yet to know of the genocide that the world now knows as the Holocaust.
Carter C. asked......
"Why does Elie want to advance his studies of Kabbalah. Why does his dad not want him to."
Answer: Elie's father does not want him to study Kabbalah because he feels that he is too young for it and he needs to master the other basic subjects that he is able to comprehend. I believe that Elie wants to advance in studies of Kabbalah because practicing kabbalism in Sighet was uncommon and it is human nature to be curious and to investigate things unknown to you.
Brian Murphy, your question said: "Did the Germans do what they did because they wanted to be the dominant race and wanted to spread their sphere of influence?" From what I know and what I researched, Hitler had a vision of creating a master race which included people with blond hair and blue eyes and excluded people of color and various religions would also be eliminated. So yes he did want his master race to be the dominant race. And Hitler also wanted to spread his influence around the world. He ordered the German army to invade many countries including Poland,France Austria, and many others. He wanted to establish his master race in these countries and be their dictator. He brutal soldered millions of innocent people in order to accomplish his vision of his master race.
Ted said…
Ellie-
How did you feel when you saw the horrible sight of men, woman, children and babies being thrown into pits to be burned just because of their race?
Matthew's response…
At first I was shocked that anyone could do such a horrible act with so little thought of the lives they were destroying. After the initial shock past, I grew angry. How could we walk to our deaths and not stand up and fight? However, my dad urged me to keep my emotions in check or else death would be certain. We were under complete control and personal thoughts were not allowed.
Bernardo R. asked...
"Were the Jewish leaders already aware of what was to come? Were they sided with the Germans? What was the big secret that they had to keep away from the Jews?"
From my understanding, only the president of the Jewish Council was aware of what was happening, but could not tell anyone or warn any of the Jews because he was threatened, by the Gestapo, to be shot if he said a word. I think that the Jewish Council was in a way forced to agree with the Germans due to threats and intimidation and fright of the Germans. The big secret that was being kept from the Jews was that they were going to be taken somewhere in Hungary to do hard labor.
Kelsey, What about if you had a brother, a year of two younger than you, who was with you in the camps?
In Response to Max M.
Q.
"Why did the Jews leave willingly when there were little to no guards?"
A.
All the Jewish people seem to have a submissive or nearly fearful attitude to any form of authority at this point, German or not. However, at the end of chapter one, the Jewish Council are the people in charge of the transfer ( without overlook by Hungarian Police), and the congregation of people left have a level of respect for the leaders to their religion. It also must be kept in mind that there was no way to fathom the horrors that were in store in the future, so the (need) to escape was not as apparent. The Jews knew however that NOT complying would lead to immediate punishment, therefore the majority went through with the transfer without hesitation.
Question from Johnathan Hennings:
Why were the Germans nice to the Jews in the Ghetto? Did they want them to believe they were nice? Why would they do that?
From my perspective, the Germans were being not nice but distantly polite. The taking to the camps was yet to come. The brutality was still to come. I feel that they did this for one because they were in the homes of the Jews and did need to be attended at most and also, they did not want to strike fear into the prisoners yet that is. The Germans did not want then to get any ideas and plan an escape or to revolt. They wanted the Jewish people to be completely oblivious to what was going to happen in their near future.
Answering Brian: Why do you have such a desire to learn about your Jewish faith?
I’m not entirely sure, I’m just drawn to it. The Jewish faith has always been a part of my culture. I am a Jew, and I have learned to grow up as one. I don’t entirely know why I pray, but I like to take comfort in the fact someone is always watching over me. To this day I like to think my desire to learn and pray about my faith was derived from God Himself. He knew I would face tough times and wanted me to stay strong in my faith. Unfortunately, I was not, and I will always regret it.
Elie
Kyle P. asked " Is Ellie Wiesel's rendition of Night politically/factually correct"
From what i have researched, most of the story is factually correct. I cannot find if it is politically correct. Many people have asked the same question you asked. Many people believe that Ellie Wiesel is a "Holocaust fraud". There is both truth and fiction to his story. There is historical truth in Auschwitz and how it is horrifying and terrible just as he explains in the book. Wiesel is said to have made some things up, but for the most part he speaks truth. We do not know for sure that the story is politically correct, but we know that Ellie Wiesel was a real survivor of the Holocaust. I hope that answers your question!
Trevor said:
Why didn't anyone in Sighet listen to the warning of Moishe the Beadle and take him seriously?
Answer:
On page three, the book said "His presence bothered no one and he stayed out of people's way." Basically no one cared because he was a foreigner and he hadn't been involved as much, so what he told them is unexpected. They didn't listen because they refuse to believe in his tales. Most people thought he had gone mad and he was imagining things. Some people chose not to believe because of what they heard is something like a tragedy. The information Moishe told the people was beyond their belief. They could not accept it.
Question from Paloma L.-Why was the kabbalah forbidden for Elie, and what would it be compared to in the modern world in order for me to understand it better?
Answer- In my research, I found that generally, in the Jewish religion you should not be able to study the kabbalah until you are forty years old. This is not completely followed all over, however. It is also a conspiracy in the Jewish religion as to whom the kabbalah should be taught at any age. Some believe the kabbalah should be taught to almost all Jews all over the world, and some believe that the kabbalah should only be taught to a selective group of scholarly men. The kabbalah is a book of teachings that mystically explain the Torah. The kabbalah also teaches aspects of life such as what the role of God is, and why we as humans were even on the earth. The ideas are mature and difficult to understand, so especially at Elie’s time it would have been hard to come by anyone who knew and understood these ideas so well as to assist in teaching someone else. From what I have researched, I don’t know what to compare it to, but it is a collection of ideas that calls for maturity and reverence to understand and respect.
I guess you could say it is compared to us even learning about the holocaust, we haven't before this year, and I think that is because they want to be prepared and feel ready for the gruesome parts in history we were in the dark about before.
In response to kelsey M.
Q.
I would ask Maria how she felt when the family didn't go with her? Was she worried about them? Also, did she make it out alive; was she ever sent to a concentration camp?
A.
I feel lonely right now and out of order because I was accustomed to serving you guys instead of serving strangers who instead command me to do anything they want to and when they want it. I was treated like a slave and they have now destroyed the self-esteem I used to obtain. I really hope you guys are all ok because those evil Nazis are probably doing the same to you as they do to me. I hope I make out alive to see you guys; you are the only reason why I don't give up you guys are my hope! Oh no, bye guys they said that they are going to give us all a big shower, but I've heard about this before and they say it doesn't feel too good! Bye I love you all i hope you a make it.
Alex S. asked…
Why didn’t the people hear about them on the radio why didn’t they know?
Ricky D. answered…
I think that the people didn’t hear about the camps because it was ju8st starting . This was also because the Germans didn’t want the Jews knowing about the camps and kept the information hidden. Eventually the word gat around and the germans were forced to give an explaination. They explained that the camps were so that they would be safe and made propaganda that made the death camps seem like a happy place.
Jonathan H. asked why were the Germans nice to the Jews when moving them to the ghettos and in the ghettos?
I don’t think they were nice just more of that the Germans didn’t show their true brutality. They did this because if Ellie and his town were to find out what they were planning they would’ve escaped at all cost. The German officers wanted to keep them in a very small area so that they could get them in the trains and then off to a concentration camp.
Brianna C said….
Was it hard to stay with your family instead of fleeing with the servant? Why?
Trevor W answer….
I think that it probably wasn’t a difficult decision because you wouldn’t just abandon your family and go on your own; you would naturally stick together with your family. However there was probably some jealousy of the servant because they were able to leave and he wasn’t. But since Elie’s father was the Jewish leader of the town he knew that his father must stay with them, so then Elie must do the same. Also they weren’t completely aware about where they were being taken and what was going to happen to them and if they did know that they were going to be taken to a Jewish death camp and potentially be burned then maybe they would have made an attempt to escape. But since they were unaware of all this they probably thought that they were making the right decision by sticking with their town.
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