Chapter 1 Response

I thought the beginning of the chapter went by pretty slow, but it got better as i kept reading it. When I was reading it, I was putting myself in the place of the jews and thinking how did they ever live through it? I know I wouldn't have enough courage to go through what they did. One part of the chapter really got to me. It was when Elie's father was called to go to a meeting of the council. I would hate to be one of the many people waiting in his back yard for the news he was supposed to bring back. I would think it was very suspenseful for all of those people. I would also hate to be the father, having to tell those people that they were going to be deported. I think people should have listened to Moche the Beadle. He was trying to tell everyone that danger was coming, but everyone was too stuborn to listen to him. I also found it hard to believe that little children were being deported. I couldn't imagine little children going through all of this. I knew that everyone was deported when I was learning about the Holocaust, but reading it from somebody who was actually there made it even more unbelievable. Whenever Elie wrote ''I looked at my little sister, Tzipora, her hair fairly combed, a red coat over her arm, a little girl of seven.'' I could tell that he was very emotional writing this passage.

Amber

I agree with you when you say that they should have listen Moche The Beadle. They all thought he was exaggerating or fibbing, but how could you imagine something like that? I don't think I could just sit there and not even wonder if there was at least some truth to what he was saying.

When you were talking about the suspense of waiting for the news, I can understand that too. I hate waiting for news, especially when it comes to bad news. It's hard not to jump to conclusions during times like that and I know it must have been very nerve racking to have been one of the people in Elie's yard. As for putting myself in the shoes of his father, I don't think I could have been as strong as he was. I couldn't deliver such bad news to a group of people, especially people who looked up to me, or came to me for advice. It would be heart breaking to tell all those people they were being moved and that this was basically the beginning of something much bigger and much worse.

I have done a lot of work with the Holocaust before in school, and I went to the Holocaust museum in Washington D.C., but that wasn't giving the whole situation a face, meaning it was never really personal when I imagined it. Reading it and hearing it from Elie's point of view makes it more touching and difficult to read. You can feel the emotion he felt. Being anyone in these circumstances would've been hard, but being a child would make it so much worse.

--Angie

I would also hate to be one of the people waiting for the news about what was going to happen. Everyone could tell that it was important news,and I think it would be hard for me to wait. I also think it would be hard to be the father. I would hate to be the one to tell everyone they were being deported. I agree that they should have listened to Moche The Beadle. If they had listened to him maybe some of them chould have gotten away in time. I don't understand why no one thought he as telling the truth. You would think that at least one person would think that he might be tellinng the truth.

Amber, I like how you discussed how you can hear Elie's emotion through his writing. That's a great thing about reading a memoir, we can read something the author actually went through, and read about the event from his personal prospective. Good point!

Angie, I'm really impressed that you've been to the Holocaust Museum in DC. I love DC and have been there thousands of times, but haven't gotten to go to the museum yet. You seem to have some extra knowledge in this time period; feel free to share with the class whenever you see fit to help grow our knowledge as a whole! Thanks

Jessica, I also think it's interesting or strange that no one would believe Moche the Beadle when he was trying to warn the town. I wonder why it seems almost natural that people 'run away' or 'hide' from bad news, almost as if they're in denial, like Jonathan talked about in class today. Do you think if people would have listened things would have been different, or do you think they would have turned out the same anyway?

I agree that it did start slow. I also put my self as the Jews to when I was reading it.I couldn’t of had the courage either, they get props for being strong..

If I was the father I mean I dont know if I could have told them in person. It is just so devastating to tell your family we are being deported and all you can carry is a backpack full of stuff you wanted to bring.

As I read I was like, why didn’t they listen to M.T.B., because if everybody didn’t come back except him. I would of got my stuff together and moved. No matter how old I was to settle again. It just makes sense.

Taylor B.