Rosh Hashanah (rahsh hah shah nuh) a holy day, the first day of the Jewish New Year, a solemn occasion marked by ten days of deep soul searching and repentance.
Yom Kippur (yahm kih poor) the Jewish day of atonement, a holiday observed with fasting and prayer.
musulman (muh suhl m'n) Arabic for "one who surrenders." A synonym for Muslim or follower of Mohammedanism or Islam, the word becomes a prison term for a weak, despondent internee whom the selection committee is certain to relegate to the crematory.
Achtung! (ach toong) German for "Attention!"
Stubenaelteste (shtyoo buh nyl tehs tuh) German for "room official."
Blockaelteste (blah kyl tehs tuh) German for "block official."
Calvary a hill in Jerusalem where Christ was crucified. Metaphorically, the term applies to any torture, ordeal, or test of faith.
mountebanks a phony, or fraud.
dysentery (dihs ihn teh ree) a life-threatening intestinal disease causing internal hemorrhaging, diarrhea, and vomiting that dehydrates as it depletes the body of electrolytes.
