ELIE WIESEL Elie Wiesel Born in Sighet Transylvania

ELIE WIESEL

Elie Wiesel Born in Sighet, Transylvania in 1928. Had three sisters: Beatrice, Hilda, and Tzipora.

Elie Wiesel was in a concentration camp called Auschwitz from May 1944 until April 1945. He was 16 years old.

Elie Wiesel After the war, Wiesel taught Hebrew and worked as a choirmaster before becoming a professional journalist. He soon learned French, which was the language he used most often when writing.

Elie Wiesel For many years, Wiesel refused to write about his experiences in the Holocaust. In 1958, Wiesel was persuaded by Nobel Laureate in Literature, Francois Mauriac, to write about his experiences.

Elie Wiesel The original version of Night was over 900 pages long and written in Yiddish. He wrote a shortened version in French, which is much like the version of Night we have today. Night has been translated into 30 languages.

Elie Wiesel moved to New York and became a U. S. citizen in 1955. 1986 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Vocabulary NIGHT

Vocabulary Kabbalah – An ancient Jewish tradition based on an interpretation of the Old Testament Synagogue – Where Jews congregate to worship. Gestapo – German state secret police during the Nazi regime. Red Army – The Soviet army. Passover – A Jewish festival that commemorates the exodus of Jews from Egypt. Typically lasts 7 to 8 days.

Vocabulary Auschwitz – The largest Nazi concentration camp during WWII. Birkenau – Municipality in Southern Germany; where Auschwitz was located. Kommando – The basic unit of organization of slave laborers (the Jews) in German concentration camps. Kapo – Jewish prisoners chosen to serve as barrack supervisors or wards.

Vocabulary Crematorium – Where human bodies were burned in the concentration camps. Blockälteste – Prisoners who were head of the barrack; considered the leader of the block. SS Officer – A member of the personal army of Hitler and the Nazi party. Buna – The largest Auschwitz sub-camp.