Jewish WWII Spy To Speak In Waukesha

WAUKESHA, WI — While the rest of her family was fleeing the Nazis or being held in their concentration camps, Marthe Cohn fought back. Acting as a nurse, with her German accent and Aryan appearance, she spied on the Germans. Cohn will speak at the Chabad of Waukesha on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Born in 1920 in Metz, France, Cohn joined the intelligence service of the First French Army to help in the fight against the Nazis, according to a press release from Rabbi Levi Brook of the Chabad of Waukesha.

The press release says she posed as a German nurse, walking the countryside and asking German soldiers for information on her fictional fiancé. She would then pass on any critical information she got to Allied commanders.

Rabbi Brook said "It is rare that we have the opportunity in our lifetime to meet a heroine like Marthe Cohn... I really hope every resident of our community – young and old – comes to hear this remarkable woman share her story," according to Waukesha Now.

In the early 2000's, Cohn, at the age of 80, was awarded the Croix de Guerre, or the War Cross, for her service to France and facing death on a daily basis.

"The best way to fight people with hatred is with education, and this is an important event... for anyone to see," Waukesha Now reported Rabbi Brook as saying.

Cohn's recollection of her time as a spy came out in her book, "Behind Enemy Lines: The True Story of a French Jewish Spy in Nazi Germany," which was published in 2002.

Entrance to the event costs $18. There is a VIP sponsorship option, as well, which includes two signed copies of Cohn's book and dinner with her prior to the event, which costs $360.

Reservations are requested for the event at 1222 E. Broadway, and can be made by calling 262-563-9770 or by visiting www.JewishWaukesha.com. You can also email Rabbi@JewishWaukesha.com to make a reservation.

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