Judaism, Antisemitism, and

the Holocaust

Judaism

Monotheistic religion

Culture and religion, NOT a race or ethnicity

Roots of both Christianity and Islam

Talmud: most important Jewish book, contains teachings and applications of the Jewish bible, Jewish law derived from this book

Judaism, cont.

Torah: Jewish bible (first five books of the Old Testament) (often called the Written Torah)

Kabbalah: Jewish philosophy that reveals how the universe and life work

Rosh Hashanah: Jewish new year, eight days long, ends with Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur: Jewish holy day spent in atonement (asking for forgiveness for sins)

Antisemitism: prejudice against or hatred of Jews

Jewish Holocaust Terms

Nazi Party: National Socialist German Workers’ Party

Fascist—political party with one person in charge (dictator), rules emphasize nation over individual

SS (Schutzstaffel): Nazi paramilitary organization charged with protecting Hitler and carrying out his plans. Ran concentration camps.

Holocaust Terms, Cont.

Kapo: Jewish prisoner responsible for supervising other Jews

Ghetto: a confined area in a city where members of a minority group must live

First Jewish ghetto was in Venice, Italy in 1516

Literary Terms in Night

Irony: what happens isn’t what’s expected to happen

Symbolism: an element in the story represents something else (ex: tree symbolizes new life)

Imagery: using language to construct a mental image in the reader’s head

Motif: a reoccurring image or idea that contributes meaning to the story as a whole