In this situation, they are actually able to fully empathize with each others' situation because they are all living it. During a time when it seemed like all hope was lost, the connections created with this foundation of empathy are strong ones that are able to bring up their spirits at least a little bit. "They quickly became my friends. Having once belonged to a Zionist youth organization, they knew countless Hebrew songs. And so we would sometimes hum melodies evoking the gentle waters of the Jordan River and the majestic sanctity of Jerusalem" (Wiesel 50). This is an example of empathy because those kids knew songs that Wiesel did, and from that they were able to build a friendship. This is also an example of a form of empathy that is minor, but can have a positive impact on both parties.
This theme of empathy is commonly seen in all the books we have read earlier in the semester, and its role in each is invaluable. For example, in the book 12 Years a Slave the use of empathy is something that really helps build connections between the slaves. This is very similar to the situation in Night and the Holocaust. Now even though empathy is seen in these books, it could have been used to a greater, more helpful degree. Meaning, if everyone was able to empathize or at least sympathize with each other, these problems would not have occurred. Now of course not everyone can fully empathize with each other, everyone is different and have experienced different things, but like what was mentioned earlier, we can all empathize to some degree. That won't fix the world's problems but it is definitely a start; and it won't only fix the larger problems we have, but the smaller ones as well. For example, a problem people have is to judge others without fully knowing them, which is wrong. Someone may judge another about the clothes they are wearing or how they act without really knowing why the other does this, so basically they are making an assumption.