Page 23-28

They were all packed into the train car riding across the countryside, when the train stoped in Kaschau, they soon realized they were no longer staying in Hungary. A German soldier and a Hungarian lieutenant came to the side of the car. They confiscated the rest of their belongings. They also told them if they kept anything or tryed to escape they would be shot.
Their was a woman among them, Mrs. Schachter. She had her ten year old son with her, but her husband and older son had been taken by accident during the first deportation. One night they were awoken by a terrible cry, it was Mrs. Schachter, she was screaming of a fire and flames. This went on for several days, they thought they would all go mad if this kept up. They were soon pulling into a station, and someone near the window read allowed "Auschwitz".
The train did not move again for several hours. Someone was allowed to fetch some water, when he returned he had informed them that this was the last stop, and that there was a camp they would stay at. Wile still in the train, just before they dozed off Mrs. Schachter began to shout of fire and flames. The train began to move slowly, a quarter of an hour they came to the camp. They saw barbed wire and also they now say the fire and the flames.

Page 1-22

Kabbala was a religion that was rarely studied in this Jewish town of Sishet. When Eli was a young boy, he wanted to study Kabbalism but could not find a tutor. Moishe the Beadle was the person who taught him those religious practices. One day the Hungarian police came into his city and loaded all the foreign Jews and deported them to the Hungarian front were they dug trenches and other needed things for war. Fortunately he was wounded and left for dead, so he made his way back to Sighet warn his friends of the horror that may be coming.
The Germans finally advanced into their territory, but the Jews were not as concerned because they did not see the horror they were to bring. At first the German's seemed very polite, several people who housed a soldier had nothing but good to say of them. Then on the seventh day of passover, when everyone was celebrating the special time, the Germans arrested the leaders of the Jewish community. Soon after, because of the situation, two ghetto's were formed, but the Jews were not upset at the situation, they tried to make the best of it, they thought a community of strictly Jews would be a great thing. People expected they would remain in the ghetto's until the Red army arrived, the ghetto's were ruled by delusion.
Eli's father was in the town courtyard speaking his opinion about the situation. He was called off to the side by an officer, they immediately knew something was wrong. The bad news came, the ghetto's were to be deported immediately, street by street. His family then lived in the smaller ghetto, were others who came before them had once lived. They were trying to keep from being captured and deported by the Gestapo. Even worse news came , it was Saturday, the chosen day of full deportation of the Jews. The Hungarian police then packed them eighty people a car and sent them on their way.

Page 1-22