98-Year-Old Holocaust Survivor To Speak In North Bay

PETALUMA, CA – The Chabad Jewish Center of Petaluma will welcome Marthe Cohn, a 98-year-old Holocaust survivor with a past-life as a Holocaust survivor and World War II spy, as a guest speaker on Tuesday, Feb. 5, at 7 p.m. at Santa Rosa Junior College Petaluma in an event open to the community.

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.

“It is an honor for us to host a heroine the likes of Marthe Cohn and we are so fortunate that Marthe has agreed to come to Petaluma to share her riveting story,” said Rabbi Dovid Bush from the Chabad Jewish Center of Petaluma. “It is vital to bring awareness to the atrocities borne from hate and antisemitism, and how important tolerance and acceptance is. I encourage everyone who can, to come hear this remarkable woman tell her incredible story of courage, faith, and espionage."

This year marks 80 years from Kristallnacht, considered by many as the starting point of the Holocaust, when Nazis took to the streets of Germany torching synagogues, vandalizing Jewish homes, schools and businesses, and murdering and arresting Jews.

Survivor Cohn became a member of the intelligence service of the French First Army and was able to retrieve inside information about Nazi troop movements by slipping behind enemy lines.

At age 80, she was awarded France's highest military honor, the Medaille Militaire, joining the likes of Winston Churchill and other outstanding wartime heroes. The award officially acknowledged the heroic exploits of a beautiful young Jewish woman who faced death every day as she sought to help defeat the Nazi empire. At the time of the award, not even her children knew the extent of her service.

"Let us unite to send a clear message against hate and intolerance. Never again!" the Chabad said.

TICKETS: Adults: $20; Students: $15; At door: $25. VIP Sponsor: $100 (Includes 2 tickets, preferred seating, and pre-event meet & greet) Signed copies of Cohn's book "Behind Enemy Lines": $20.

Due to limited space, advance ticket purchase is highly recommended and can be purchased at: www.JewishPetaluma.com/Remember. VIP options for a private meet-and-greet are available. Cohn will have copies of her book on sale and will be available for a book signing after the event.

ALSO GOING ON NEARBY:

• Driving Range Date Night & Cooking Class: Petaluma
• Arya's Birthday & Humane Society Benefit: Two Shepherds, Windsor
• 9th Annual Napa Truffle Festival 2019: Napa Valley
• Tam Valley Crab Feed 2019: Mill Valley
• Marin YMCA 'Claws For A Cause' Crab Feed 2019: San Rafael
• Shoreline Acres Crab & Pasta Feed & Drive-Thru 2019: Tomales

--Image via Chabad Jewish Center of Petaluma