Corrie Ten Boom

Corrie ten Boom is one of the most notable individuals to take a stand on behalf of the Jews. Corrie, a native of Holland, was the youngest child of a watchmaker, Caspar ten Boom. Beginning in the 1920s and continuing until 1940, Corrie helped young girls through the founding of Haarlem Girl's Clubs and a Christian organization with thousands of members. Her vision and compassion for people enabled her to face the events that followed the invasion of Holland by the Germans in 1940.

The ten Boom family was involved in underground efforts to protect and hide the Jews, even to the extent of helping them to escape from the Germans. Eventually, the entire ten Boom family was arrested. Corrie, her father, and her sister were imprisoned and subsequently sent to a concentration camp in Germany. Her father and sister died from illness during confinement, but Corrie was released on December 31, 1944.

Her release is believed to be nothing short of a miracle since all the women her age were killed right after she was given her freedom to return to Holland due to a clerical error. Corrie ten Boom made it her mission in life to share her story about the efforts of many individuals on behalf of the Jews. She was invited to visit more than 60 countries, and has been recognized and honored by the State of Israel for her assistance to the Jewish people.

As Corrie ten Boom shared the miracles she had experienced in hiding and assisting the Jews, she realized that she must learn to forgive those who had destroyed her family and hurt so many of the people she loved. Her lessons on forgiveness have helped many victims of the Holocaust to learn how to live again, making her a true inspiration.