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The Hungarians expel all foreign Jews
The Hungarian police expel all the foreign Jews from Sighet. Moishe the Beadle is actually a foreigner, so he and the others like him are packed into train cars like cattle.The Jews of Sighet think it’s a shame that the foreigners are carted away, but quickly forget, clearly not seeing this as a warning for their own futures. -
Restrictions begin for the Jews
People celebrate Passover and as the celebration ends, the restrictions begin. First, Jews cannot leave their houses for three days or they’ll die. Then, Jews are no longer allowed to keep valuable items, or they’ll die. Next, Jews must wear the yellow star. -
Begin exporting Jews
The police show up to the ghetto at 8am and call all of the Jews out.The police empty the houses, club people with their guns, and do a roll call.The Jews are marched to the synagogue and searched for valuables. -
They arrive at Auschwitz-Birkenau :o
The Jews must leave all of their cherished possessions in the cattle car as they move forward to be admitted to the concentration camp.Men are sent to the left, women to the right. A prisoner tells them they should be 18 and 40 (age can mean the difference between life and death here). -
Franek begins tormenting Eliezer’s father
Franek, the foreman, decides he wants Eliezer’s gold crown. Eliezer won’t give it to him. But, Franek discovers Eliezer’s weakness – his father.Franek begins tormenting Eliezer’s father during their marches. Eliezer gives in and his tooth is extracted with a rusty spoon in the bathroom. -
An air rade at the concentration camp
The SS officers take cover, while the prisoners remain in their bunks. One man dares to venture out to get some soup, as the soup has been left out. For most people, terror is stronger than hunger, but not for this man. The man is killed, though, when the Allies start bombing Buna. All of the prisoners are glad to hear the bombs; they have renewed hope. -
Gallows set up in the middle of camp
A young Polish man out of solitary confinement was hung for stealing something during the air raid. Then a young boy was hung for being involved in resistance activities. Because he was light weighted, the hanging didn’t result in instantaneous death. The inmates were forced to watch as the boy on the end of the rope struggled for half an hour before he died. -
Eliezer’s father is on the list for death
His father is rushed, trying to tell his son everything he wants to say before he dies. As they say goodbye that day, his father gives him a knife and a spoon – the family inheritance. Eliezer doesn’t want to take them. He doesn’t want to admit his father might have been selected. But at last, he takes them and marches off with the construction group. -
Eliezer has to go to the hospital
Life in the hospital is a bit better – more food, thicker soup, and even sheets on the beds. What Eliezer fears most is that he will be selected at the hospital while recuperating. The operation is successful and the doctor tells Eliezer he just needs to rest for two weeks. But Eliezer can’t feel his leg and he’s afraid it’s been amputated – which would mean selection. He’s relieved to learn that his leg is still very much attached. -
They are all forced to evacuate the concentration camp
The prisoners aren’t marching, but running through the snow while the SS yell at them to go faster faster faster! The SS will kill anyone who can’t keep up. Eliezer’s friend Zalman gets a stomach cramp. He stops for a second to try to relieve it and he ends up getting trampled to death by all the prisoners. The road seems endless, but finally (after many hours) they are at last ordered to rest. -
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Eliezer and his father are assigned to labor units
They were forced to strip off their clothes, beaten, and sent to the barber to get their hair shaved off. The naked men are forced to run outside in the cold to a bath of disinfectant, and then forced to run again to the storeroom to get striped. prisoner’s clothes.
