Yossi and Tibi Czech brothers who work at the electrical warehouse after their parents are killed at Birkenau, Yossi and Tibi are Zionists who befriend Elie and hum Jewish melodies as they dream of immigrating to Palestine. When Block 36 undergoes selection, the brothers join Elie in a successful dash past Dr. Mengele's life-or-death assessing eyes.
Alphonse A German Jew who heads the musicians' block, Alphonse devotes himself to providing extra cauldrons of soup for the young and the weak.
The French Jewess A fearful worker in the electrical warehouse, the French Jewess pretends to be Aryan by forging papers and speaking only French. She soothes Elie after a severe beating by slipping him a piece of bread, wiping his bloody forehead, and whispering comforting words in German.
The Young Thief from Warsaw A sturdy young man; when he is on the gallows, he praises liberty and curses Germany.
Dutch Oberkapo of the 52nd Cable Unit A kindly overseer, the Dutch Oberkapo is accused of sabotage. After weeks of torture for stockpiling arms and blowing up Buna's power station, the man refuses to name co-conspirators and is transferred to Auschwitz and never seen again.
The Pipel A thirteen-year-old assistant to the Dutch Oberkapo, the small, angelic-looking pipel is tortured and hanged by slow strangulation because his body is too light to end the execution with one quick snap of the neck.
Elie's Blockaelteste A veteran of concentration camps and slaughterhouses since 1933, the Blockaelteste advises internees on how to deal with fear and pass the selection process.
The Rabbi from a Little Town in Poland A devout student of the Talmud, the Polish rabbi concludes that God has no mercy for internees.
