expel
force to leave or move out
And then, one day all foreign Jews were
expelled from Sighet.
beadle
a minor parish official who serves a ceremonial function
And Moishe the
Beadle was a foreigner.
deportee
a person who is expelled from home or country by authority
The
deportees were quickly forgotten.
content
satisfied or showing satisfaction with things as they are
A few days after they left, it was rumored that they were in Galicia, working, and even that they were
content with their fate.
reassure
give or restore confidence in
A calm,
reassuring wind blew through our homes.
companion
a traveler who goes along with someone else
He told me what had happened to him and his
companions.
Gestapo
the secret state police in Nazi Germany
The train with the deportees had crossed the Hungarian border and, once in Polish territory, had been taken over by the
Gestapo.
trench
any long ditch cut in the ground
They were forced to dig huge
trenches.
haste
overly eager speed and possible carelessness
Without passion or
haste, they shot their prisoners, who were forced to approach the trench one by one and offer their necks.
target
a reference point to shoot at
Infants were tossed in the air and used as
targets for the machine guns.
refuse
show unwillingness towards
But people not only
refused to believe his tales, they
refused to listen.
insinuate
suggest in an indirect or covert way; give to understand
Some even
insinuated that he only wanted their pity, that he was imagining things.
plead
appeal or request earnestly
As for Moishe, he wept and pleaded: "Jews, listen to me!
pity
a feeling of sympathy and sorrow for misfortunes of others
That's all I ask of you. No money. No
pity. Just listen to me!
grief
intense sorrow caused by loss of a loved one
I often sat with him, after services, and listening to his tales, trying to understand his
grief.