In Chapter One of Night, the Sighet Jews living in the ghetto established by German forces learn from Eliezer's father that they will be deported the next day, and that each person will be allowed to pack only one bag of personal belongings. The group busies themselves with preparing for the trip, even though they have no idea what their destination is or what horrors await them. 

The next day, the police arrive to empty out the houses at 8:00 AM, and the Jews are forced to march to the synagogue, where they are then stripped of their valuables. This actually provides some brief hope, as the Jews begin to think that the Germans are only out to steal their possessions. The truth is far more sinister: they are loaded onto sealed cattle cars with bars on the windows and transported to the horrific gates of Birkenau. 

In Night by Elie Wiesel, the Jews of Sighet are forced to leave their homes. The Hungarian police loaded them into cattle cars on a train, with eighty people in each car. The cars were sealed up, and for two days, Elie and the other Jewish people traveled, so crowded together that they had to take turns sitting down. After two days, they arrived in Czechoslovakia, where the German army took over the train. Immediately, the Jews were ordered to turn over all of their valuables.

"'Those of you who still have gold, silver, or watches in your possession must give them up now. Anyone who is later found to have kept anything will be shot on the spot." (Wiesel 21)

Then the Hungarian lieutenant, who was with them, collected all of their valuables. They were given one more warning--that if anyone came up missing everyone would be killed. More precious than all the valuables in the world, their freedom was stripped from them, and their lives would never again be the same.