98-Year-Old Holocaust Survivor To Speak In Castro Valley

CASTRO VALLEY, CA – Marthe Cohn, a 98-year-old Holocaust survivor and World War II French spy, will share her gripping life story of survival and espionage Jan. 20 at an event hosted by the Chabad of Castro Valley.

Following her family's daring escape from Nazi-occupied France and her sister’s death in Auschwitz, Cohn went on to be recruited by the Intelligence Service of the French 1st Army due to her blonde hair, blue eyes and thorough command of the German language. Posing as a German nurse desperately searching for her fictional fiancé positioned on the front lines, she successfully retrieved troves of crucial information regarding the positioning of German troops, according to event sponsors.

At age 80, Cohn was awarded for her service with the Croix de Guerre, France's highest military honor.

"With a fading generation of Holocaust survivors, now more than ever are we charged with the moral imperative to hear their first hand accounts,” said Rabbi Shimon Gruzman, co-director of Chabad of Castro Valley. “Mrs. Cohn is a true hero who brings a positive message of hope, strength and triumph.”

Cohn’s visit also has added significance as this year marks the 80th anniversary of Kristallnacht, considered by many as the starting point of the Holocaust, when Nazis in Germany torched synagogues, vandalized Jewish homes, schools and businesses, murdered hundreds and dragged thousands of Jews from their homes.

Tickets are $20 and signed copies of Cohn’s memoir, “Behind Enemy Lines: The True Story of a French Jewish Spy in Nazi Germany," are available online for purchase and may be picked up at the event, which will be at the Chabad at 20912B Redwood Road in Castro Valley. It is suitable for adults and teenagers of all faiths, according to organizers.

For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.

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--Image courtesy of Chabad Jewish Center of Castro Valley Center for Jewish Life