A Short Reading From His Book

In this episode Ellie is going to jump in a ditch of burning gasoline.



 

From Ellie's book Night


"We continued our march. We were gradually drawing closer to the ditch, from which an infernal heat was rising. Still twenty steps to go. If I wanted to bring about my own death, this was the moment. I gathered all that was left of my strength, so that I could break from the ranks and throw myself upon the barbed wire.

In the depths of my heart, I bade farewell to my father, to the whole universe; and, in spite of myself, the words formed themselves and issued in a whisper from my lips: Yitgadal veyitkadach shmé raba.... May His name be blessed and magnified.... My heart was bursting. The moment had come. I was face to face with the Angel of Death.... "

 

Fifteen steps -- to cover. I bit my lips so that my father would not hear my teeth chattering

 

Ten steps still

 

Eight steps

 

Seven steps. We marched slowly on, as though following a hearse at our own funeral.

 

Four steps more.

 

Three steps. There it was now, right in front of us, the pit and its flames.

 

Two steps from the pit we were ordered to turn to the left and made to go into a barracks.. . .  

Elie Wiesel, Night
 

My Own Family Tragedy

My uncle Heim Petenski was a cobbler, and he made custom boots for the SS officers at Auschwitz. One day SS Sturmfurher Himmler was to visit the camp, and Col Mengele wanted to make an impression. He told Uncle Heim he wanted his boots to have gold swastikas, and cowboy spurs (Himmler watched westerns).

Uncle Heim took a pliers and pulled gold teeth from fellow Jews, melted them down, made the emblems and spurs, and Mengele was impressed. As Mengel put his boots on, he felt a small nail head, and soon went into a rage. He lined up the entire camp, had uncle Heim kneel, a guard poured gas on him, and Mengele walked up and threw a match.