After reviewing vocabulary from the novel, we explored a motif within last night's reading a moral "epidemic" -the contagious loss of faith. Kaitlin noted how Drumer Akiva, Elie Wiesel, and Elie's father are all suffering physical consequences as they are forced to acknowledge that God does not care about them and is not merciful as they had been raised to believe. We discussed the irony of some of the prisoners atoning on Yom Kippur notwithstanding their innocence and suffering. Last, we studied textual passages wherein in Elie not only expresses his loss of faith but voices anger and defiance at God. He refuses to fast on Yom Kippur as an act of rebellion. We discussed why the loss of faith was critical to the members of the insulated Jewish community as their lives were so steadily and strictly guided by their religious practices. In this context, we continue to interpret the repeating word "night" as meaning something deeper and darker after each reference.