Kayla

=**Elie Wiesel**= Elie Wiesel was born in 1928 in the town of Sighet. During World War II, he, his family, and other Jews from the area, were deported to the German concentration camps. Unfortunatley his parents and little sister perished at the extermination camps. Wiesel and his two older sisters survived.
 * Background of Elie Wiesel:**

In 1944, Elie (15 years old), his family, and all the other Jews in the town were deported to concentration camps in Poland. Wiesel and his father were taken to Auschwitz. They became separated from Elie's mother and younger sister Tzipora. Later, his mother and sister were cremated in the ovens of Auschwitz. Wiesel was the first to give the name "Holocaust", to the experience of European Jews in World War II.

Wiesel spent a few years in a French orphanage. In 1948, Wiesel began to study at the Sorbonne in Paris. He was 20 years old at the time. He became involved in journalistic work with the French newspaper L'arche. Nobel laureate Francois Mauriac is the one who influenced Wiesel to break his vowed silence and write of his experiences. Later he wrote the award-winning novel "Night".
 * After the holocaust:**

"...to remain silent and indifferent is the greatest sin of all..." = Holocaust Survivors: = =**Shep Zitler**= //**There were 10 of us who stayed together for the entire 5 years and 7 months of our captivity. We had been through hell. There were 2 things we were not going to do: We were not going to get married and we were not going to have children. Why should our children suffer as Jews? Then we got married and had children. Life goes on. Now, our children are giving back to society.**// PERSONAL RESPONSE: It's a good thing his children are giving back to society even though he went through a bad time. The children could've been hateful and tried to get revenge but they didn't.
 * My favorite quote by Elie Wiesel****:**

=**Jeannine Burk** = **//I was a hidden child. I hid in this woman's house from ages three to five. I am grateful to her, but I do not know her name. I will never be able to thank her in a public way.//** PERSONAL RESPONSE: I couldn't imagine hiding as a child for 2 years. Especially if I didn't know what was going on. Not being able to thank her and not knowing her name must be difficult and awkward.

=**Isak Borenstein** = //**I went to see Schindler's List. I was physically broken. Schindler protected. Ninety-nine percent did not have protection. How can you see taking children and throwing them down from the top floor? I cannot imagine it. I have no answer to it. Yet, now you have professors who deny the Holocaust. I am asking you how can they deny what everybody knows is true?** // PERSONAL RESPONSE: I can't believe people are trying to deny the holocaust. Professors can be dumb...That's like denying slavery or wars. Throwing children down from the top floor is sick and awful.

=10 Facts About the Holocaust:= 1. Out of 9 million Jews who lived in Europe before the holocaust, 2/3 Jews were murdered. 2. On November 11, 1938, it became illegal for Jews to carry firearms or other weapons. 3. The Nazis would process Holocaust victims’ hair into felt, thread, socks for submarine crews, ignition mechanism in bombs, ropes and cords for ships, and stuffing for mattresses. 4. More than half a million people visit the site of the former concentration camp Auschwitz every year. 5. Victims at some concentration camps were injected with bacterium that produces gas gangrene so Nazi doctors could research the effectiveness of sulfanilamide in preventing infection and mortification. 6. Over 1 million children died during the holocaust. 7. Victims were locked in gas chambers emitting toxic fumes. 8.The Auschwitz complex included three large camps: Auschwitz, Birkenau, and Monowitz. 9. The first concentration camp was Dachau. 10. Concentration camp laborers had to run in front of SS officers to show that they still had strength.



Photo of Auschwitz Concentration Camp
This is where Elie and his father worked.

Holocaust Hanging
This is where they people in the concentration camps were hanged. They would hang the laborers for not doing what they were supposed to do.

Jewish Ghetto
A jewish ghetto during the holocaust. This is where Elie and his family were taken before going to the concentration camp.



Elie's Father
Elie's father was all Elie had left while in the concentration camp. He guided Elie as best as he could.



Kommandos and SS officers
These are some kommandos and SS officers that worked at the concentration camps.

Elie Wiesel
Elie Wiesel wrote the novel "Night" which described his life during the holocaust and how he lived and worked in the concentration camps. =Night Summary:=
 * //In the beginning of the novel, Elie Wiesel is just a normal kid. He's deeply involved in his studies for his Jewish faith and gets mentored by Moshe the Beadle. Moshe ends up getting deported and when he returns, he warns others about the concentration camps. No one believes him until the day when the Jews get a knock on their door and they're ordered out of their homes to do the unknown. Later they discover they're being taken to work in concentration camps and are stripped of their dignity and hope. Elie and his father get seperated from the rest of his family which includes Elie's mother and his sisters.//**
 * //Elie and his father face many near-death experiences during the holocaust including the threat of being burned alive, walking 22 miles in the snow, hunger, and untreated sickness. They also unintentionally miss several oppurtunities to be free. Elie and his father did not let this stop them. They had and inseperable relationship though at times, Elie would become aggravated with his father. They had to endure the worst of situations and if anyone refused, the only option was death. The Jews would be killed by hangings, shootings, beatings, and cremation. Several Jews died during the holocaust.//**
 * //Towards the end of the novel, Elie's father becomes very sick. Elie tries his best to take care of him without getting into trouble with the SS officers. Unfortunately, his father dies. Elie was greatly effected by this, saying: "since my father's death, nothing mattered to me anymore". Soon after his father's death, the end of the holocaust happened. Evacuation of the camps began. Thousands of inmates are freed and after about 6 days, Elie gets freed.//**

Sources: [|www.google.com] [|www.nobleprize.com] [|judiasm.about.com] [|www.holocaustsurvivors.org] [|www.facts.randomhistory.com]