Final answer:
The majority of Jews in Sighet before the German arrival did not fully grasp the extent of danger posed by the Nazis and instead tried to continue with their normal lives. Events such as Kristallnacht and existing Nazi oppression were not enough to change this mindset, compounded by international indifference and restrictive immigration policies.
Step-by-step explanation:
Jewish Community's Response to Nazi Threats
Most of the Jews of Sighet, shortly before the Germans arrived as described in Night, did not truly believe that the German goal was to annihilate the Jews. This is because they continued trying to live their lives as normal, amidst rising anti-Semitism and Nazi aggression in Europe. Despite the violent events of Kristallnacht and the increasing Nazi oppression, many Jews found it difficult to comprehend the full scope of the threat. There was also widespread international indifference to the plight of the Jews, including restrictive immigration policies in the United States and other countries, which fed into the Jews' isolation and a lack of awareness regarding the severity of their situation.
The optimism that the British and Americans would intervene before any significant harm could come to the Jewish people in Sighet was yet another manifestation of the disbelief in the true intentions of the Nazis. This view was not supported by the evidence, as the international response to anti-Semitic violence, including the systematic nature of the genocides such as the Holocaust, was limited and often hindered by anti-Semitism in the accepting countries.