Cornelia “Corrie” ten Boom (1892-1983), a Dutch Holocaust survivor, came alive Tuesday, June 4.
Al Benson/The Voice
In “A Visit with Corrie,” an hourlong performance by Gayle Hass in period costume and with projected photos, the Aurora dramatist portrayed ten Boom at the Aurora Area Retired Teachers Association (AARTA) luncheon at Lincoln Inn Banquets in Batavia.
An added visual aid was the Army jacket Haas’ father wore while helping liberate World War II Nazi concentration camps.
Haas recounted how ten Boom’s watchmaking family’s efforts helped save 800 Jews with a hiding place above the family’s shop in the Netherlands.
According to Haas, ten Boom was arrested and sent to Ravensbruck, the largest Nazi concentration camp for women in Germany. There a sister died and ten Boom only escaped death because of a clerical error.
Haas presented a copy of her bestselling book, “The Hiding Place” to an audience member to conclude her presentation.
—Al Benson