Night Glossary

cabbala (see Kabbalah): a body of mystical teachings of rabbinical origin, often based on an esoteric interpretation of the Hebrew Scriptures

colic: severe abdominal pain caused by spasm, obstruction, or distention of any of the hollow viscera, such as the intestines

concentration camp: in Germany and German-occupied Europe, camps established by the Nazi regime and managed by the SS to detain and, if necessary, kill so-called enemies of the state, including Jews, Gypsies, political and religious opponents, members of national resistance movements, homosexuals, and others. Imprisonment in a concentration camp was of unlimited duration, was not linked to a specific act, and was not subject to any judicial review.

conflagration: a large disastrous fire

crematory (or crematorium): an establishment containing a furnace for reducing dead bodies to ashes by burning

crucible: a vessel in which a substance is heated to a high temperature


death's head: the skull insignia, worn on the collar lapel, for SS units that administered and guarded the concentration camps


emaciate: to cause to lose flesh so as to become very thin

Elie Wiesel and Oprah go inside Auschwitz.