The "before" signals how life was in Sighet Romania for the Jews who lived peaceably without being worried about the happenings in other parts of Eastern Europe.
The Jewish population did not know that the war in Eastern Europe was nearing home, and would remove them from their roots and daily routines in Sighet to concentration camps in places like Auschwitz.
The "before" in Elie Wiesel's Night showed that the Jews concentrated on their businesses and daily living without the thought of being affected negatively by the war. They even dismissed the rumors about the injustices meted out to their countrymen and women, including children in other parts of Eastern Europe.
Thus, the significance of the "before" is to provide the background information that enables the reader to appreciate Elie Wiesel's Night, detailing the horrors of the Holocaust.
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