Elie is a 12 year old boy who lives in Sighet. He, his parents, siblings, and his friends are all Jewish. Elie studies Kabbalah. He was asked why he prays, and he said he didn't know.
One day, all of the Jews were expelled from Sighet. The Hungarian police had forced them out.
Life eventually went back to normal for him for a short period. Moishe the Beadle, and Elie's 'mentor', tried to warn the Jews that something catastrophic was coming soon. No one listened.
Eventually, because of the war, Gestapo officers began to put all Jews in convoys. Elie and his family wanted to stick together as long a possible. After loading up everyone, the cattle cars began to move and Elie and his family were on their way....
The Jewish people were in the cattle car under extremely harsh conditions. Many were exhausted, tired, and dehydrated. It was very hot, and they had to take turn sitting. There was a woman in the cattle car that kept having delusions of seeing a "fire". She was hit repeatedly because of her outburst. After days under these conditions, they arrive at a concentration camp. The woman yells again and wakes up everyone from their daze bacause of her screams. This time, however; there really is a fire. The smell of burning flesh is in the air. It was dark, around midnight. They had officially arrived in Birkenau.
