Introduction to Elie Wiesel’s Night: A Memoir
You will either click on or type in the weblinks below and try to find the answers to questions. This is a scavenger hunt! It also serves as an introduction to our novel, Night.
http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/wie0bio-1
Biographical/Background information
Elie Wiesel
1. Born _________ (year)
2. In ____________________ (location)
3. He was fifteen years old when ____________________________________________.
4. The camp was liberated in ___________.
5. He studied in Paris and later became a _________________.
6. He was persuaded by ________________ to write about his experiences in the death camps. The result was _____________, which has been translated into more than _________ languages (you will need to count the different number of languages for the last blank).
7. What are two awards that Elie Wiesel has received for his writing ___________________ and _____________________________.
A Speech given by the author
http://www.historyplace.com/speeches/wiesel.htm
Read some brief information about author Elie Wiesel. Then read his speech that follows. Do not panic! It may look like you have a lot to read, but it isn’t really that much. I want you to think about what is being said, and the world we live in today. It is very IMPORTANT that you take your time! Once you have read the entire speech, answer the eight questions below IN COMPLETE SENTENCES.
1. Why was Elie giving a speech and who hosted the event? When did the event take place?
2. Elie Wiesel was liberated by American troops in April 1945. Briefly describe his life after that point. What were some of his accomplishments?
3. What are his thoughts about approaching the threshold of a new century or new millennium?
4. What does the word “indifference” mean? Why can indifference be tempting?
5. What are the three categories that Elie believes his childhood society to be made up of?
6. What was the Kristallnacht?
7. List some of the good things that Elie believes has happened in this traumatic century:
8. What are Elie’s concerns about the children?
Researching the Holocaust
http://fcit.coedu.usf.edu/holocaust/people/victims.htm
Did you know that approximately 11 million people were killed because of Adolf Hitler’s desire to create a European world dominated by the “Aryan” race? In this section, you will read about all those people who suffered because of who they were.
Example:
1. Jews
- Nazis boycotted Jewish businesses for one day in April 1933
- Not allowed to enter cinemas, theaters, swimming pools and resorts.
- Forced to wear the Star of David
- Jewish children barred from schools.
2. _____________ (Gypsies)
- Nomadic people believed to have come originally from ______________ ____________.
- Like Jews, they were deprived of their__________ _____________.
3. Poles & ______________ ______________
- Christian Poles and other Slavs, notably Ukrainians and Byelorussians, were also primary targets of Nazi Germany hatred during WWII.
- To the Nazis, the Slavs were considered Untermenschen, or ______________________.
- Tens of thousands of Ukrainians were executed by Einsatzgruppen, or _____________ _________ ___________.
4. Political Dissidents & __________________ __________________
- The remnants of the communist and socialist parties and members of the trade unions ________________________________________.
5. Persons with ___________________ or __________________ disabilities.
- Threatened the Nazi plan for ___________ _____________.
- “Euthanasia Program” was the Nazi plan to do what?
6. Jehovah’s Witnesses
- What did they refuse to do (that the Nazis did not tolerate)? 1. _______________________ 2. ______________________
3. _______________________
- What did their badge look like? _________________________________
7. Homosexuals-
-approximately how many were sent to concentration camps _________________?
8. Other Victims Include: ____________, ____________, ____________, ______________ and others who were considered unfit for
society.
An interview with the author (YOU MAY NEED EAR BUDS FOR THIS)
http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/wie0int-1
Go to the interview link and answer the five questions that follow in complete sentences.
1. As Elie discusses his childhood, what does he go on to say about God?
2. What are the two nights a year that he (& his family) were afraid to be beaten up if they left the house?
__________________________&__________________________
3. Who was important to Elie? Who inspired or influenced him?
4. What books most influenced Elie?
5. Elie states, “I read a lot. I teach my students, not creative writing, but creative reading.” What does he mean by this?
More about the author:
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~CAP/HOLO/ELIEBIO.HTM
Read more about the author. By now, you know the drill, answer the questions that follow and fill in the timeline below.
1. As you have already read in Wiesel’s speech at the White House, you have once again seen the word “indifferent.” What does he mean when he says “to remain silent and indifferent is the greatest sin of all”
2. What has Wiesel dedicated his life to ensuring?
3. Fill in the important events that happened in the years below.
1928-
1944-
1945 (Jan)-
1945 (April)-
1948-
1954-
1956-
1958-
1963-
1964-
1969-
1972-
1978-