Hidden Children of the Holocaust: Belgian Nuns and their Daring Rescue of Young Jews from the Nazis | 
 enlarge | Author: Suzanne Vromen
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Category: Book
List Price: $24.95
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Rating:  3 reviews
Sales Rank: 52095
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 224
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 6.1 x 1
ISBN: 019518128X
Dewey Decimal Number: 940.53183508309493
EAN: 9780195181289
ASIN: 019518128X
Publication Date: May 9, 2008
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Condition: BRAND NEW
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Product Description
In the terrifying summer of 1942 in Belgium, when the Nazis began the brutal roundup of Jewish families, parents searched desperately for safe haven for their children. As Suzanne Vromen reveals in Hidden Children of the Holocaust, these children found sanctuary with other families and schools--but especially in Roman Catholic convents and orphanages.
Vromen has interviewed not only those who were hidden as children, but also the Christian women who rescued them, and the nuns who gave the children shelter, all of whose voices are heard in this powerfully moving book. Indeed, here are numerous first-hand memoirs of life in a wartime convent--the secrecy, the humor, the admiration, the anger, the deprivation, the cruelty, and the kindness--all with the backdrop of the terror of the Nazi occupation. We read the stories of the women of the Resistance who risked their lives in placing Jewish children in the care of the Church, and of the Mothers Superior and nuns who sheltered these children and hid their identity from the authorities. Perhaps most riveting are the stories told by the children themselves--abruptly separated from distraught parents and given new names, the children were brought to the convents with a sense of urgency, sometimes under the cover of darkness. They were plunged into a new life, different from anything they had ever known, and expected to adapt seamlessly. Vromen shows that some adapted so well that they converted to Catholicism, at times to fit in amid the daily prayers and rituals, but often because the Church appealed to them. Vromen also examines their lives after the war, how they faced the devastating loss of parents to the Holocaust, struggled to regain their identities and sought to memorialize those who saved them.
This remarkable book offers an inspiring chronicle of the brave individuals who risked everything to protect innocent young strangers, as well as a riveting account of the "hidden children" who lived to tell their stories.
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| Customer Reviews:
 Unveiling the childhood of my father July 9, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I grew up hearing only occasional anecdotes of my father's and grandparent's experiences surviving Nazi occupation of Belgium during WWII. Even as my father passes his 72nd year, not much has been revealed of his years with the nuns and within Catholic sanctuary that saved his life. Dr. Vromen's book revealed the cultural context and societal fabric in WWII Belgium that allowed half the country's Jews, including my father and his parents, to survive the war. The book also filled in many gaps in my understanding of the psychological trauma that my father must have endured during that time and the ensuing years.
From a historical perspective, her description of the instrumental role of woman (primarily but not exclusively nuns with various levels of authority) in saving thousands of young lives was extremely powerful. It is reminiscent of reading histories written by Alison Weir or Antonia Fraser, but with a primary emphasis on the heroism of "ordinary" women. Vromen's treatment of the conversion of Jewish children survivors to Catholicism following their dramatic survival is also provocative and demonstrates the potential imperfections (or at least blind spots by modern standards) of some of the Catholic religious heroes. Finally, her discussion of who gets to anoint which individuals are heroes (the "righteous"), though not for the casual reader, is also thought provoking, and extremely relevant in terms of the writing of past events, the white washing of Holocaust responsibility, and the relevance and emotional power of the state of Israel for the ancestors of those who fortunately survived the darkness of WWII Europe.
I sincerely thank Dr. Vromen for translating French documents and making them accessible to English readers like myself, and unveiling the reasons why so many Jews survived Nazi occupation in Belgium - a painfully sharp contrast to what occurred in other communities and countries.
Eric Fajer, Littleton Colorado
 Remarkably Lucid: "Hidden Children of the Holocaust" June 13, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
For those who know a great deal about the Holocaust, and for those just beginning their study of a period of history about which there can never be enough written, Suzanne Vromen's "Hidden Children of the Holocaust" is both informative and revealing. Written so clearly that the depth of her knowledge and the breadth of her research combine to tell her important story in a remarkably lucid way. Do read this book.
A Great Read June 10, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Vromen's brings to light the role of nuns & priests in the rescue of Jewish children in Belgium durint WWII. While a scholarly work, it presents engrossing stories of those involved in the effort and is suitable for any adult's reading. Because of the easy writing style, you do not want to put the book down!
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