Former Spy in Nazi Germany to Share Story in Naperville

Marthe Cohn was a devoutly religious 19-year-old French Jewish girl when the Nazis invaded France in 1939.

Her life then took a turn so extraordinary that it could have been pulled straight from a Hollywood movie script.

While the rest of her family fled south, Marthe decided to fight back. After graduating from nursing school she joined the French resistance and, on account of her perfect German accent and Aryan appearance, she was recruited to be a spy. Carrying forged identification papers, she infiltrated German territory in the guise of a German nurse desperately searching for a fictional fiancé (by this time her real-life fiancé had been executed by the Nazis).

During the next year she mingled freely with Nazi troops, on many occasions caring for injured Nazi soldiers in order to maintain her cover. She gathered invaluable information on troop positions which she secretly relayed to Allied commanders. Her intelligence gathering was instrumental in allowing the Allies to break through the Seigfried line and enter German territory in 1945, leading to the end of the war.

On Monday, Sept. 19 at 7 p.m., Marthe Cohn will share her remarkable story at the Embassy Suites in Naperville in an evening coordinated and sponsored by the Chabad Jewish Center of Naperville.

“It is rare that we have the opportunity in our lifetime to meet a heroine the likes of Marthe Cohn," said Rabbi Mendy Goldstein from the Chabad Jewish Center. “Come hear this remarkable woman tell her incredible story of courage, faith and espionage."

Following the event, Marthe Cohn will be available to sign copies of her memoir, Behind Enemy Lines: The True Story of a French Jewish Spy in Nazi Germany.

Tickets and more information is available online at www.jewishnaperville.com or by calling 630-344-9770 Tickets are $15 if purchased by Sept. 15 or $20 at the door. Sponsorships are available for $180.

Submitted by the Chabad Jewish Center of Naperville