Corrie ten Boom

Picture of Corrie ten Boom with one of her quotes (https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&so ())

There are many great heroes who walk, or have walked the Earth ever since the world was made. Some of them are folktales, while others are real, but I believe, my hero, is the best one of them all. Corrie ten boom, along with her family, were extremely heroic, as they saved many Jews during WW2. Corrie ten Boom was a devoted Christian, much like the rest of her family, and they all worked at a watchmaking shop that her grandfather gave to her dad before she was born. She had two sisters, Betsie and Nollie, and a brother named Willem. The Nazi's invaded Haarlem, and the Jews, along with the Christians, were given strict rules. Many Jews started getting arrested, and when one came to their house for shelter, Corrie's dad happily invited her in. Soon after, many people knew about the beje being a "safe haven" and more people came to hide from the Nazis. Many important events, and places took place in Haarlem, Netherlands, in concentration camps, the watchmaking shop, and inside the Beje, because it is attached to the watch shop. All the important events took place during World War two, all the way to the end. A hero must possess kindness, and putting people's lives before theirs. If someone saves your life, you will be indebted to them, but if they aren't kind to you, then they shouldn't be a hero. Putting people's lives before their own is another good attribute that a hero should have, because the most heroic thing a person can do for someone else, is saving, or making their life better. Being kind can mean doing something nice for someone, or helping them out in any way possible, while putting people's lives before yours is like doing almost anything for them before yourself. This is why I think Corrie ten Boom fits the role of being a hero, because she put her life on the line to protect people, some of which she didn't even know, and she showed the utmost kindness to the people she took in, and even fed them whenever she had the rations to.

(www.raoulwallenberg.net)

Corrie ten Boom was a strong, and brave woman, who stayed strong throughout the Nazification, and the war. Not everyone is strong, but you can be strong willed just like Corrie ten Boom, but here are some of the ways Corrie ten Boom stayed brave. (All ten Boom family members were incarcerated, including Corrie's 84-year-old father, who soon died in the Scheveningen prison, located near The Hague. Corrie and her sister Betsie were remanded to the notorious Ravensbrück concentration camp, near Berlin. Betsie died there on December 16, 1944. Twelve days later, Corrie was released for reasons not completely known.) Ms. Boom, and her family were all arrested, and so many things happened to her, but she stayed strong through it all. Anyone would cry if their father and sister died, but she didn't let that bother her so much. She was brave, because although she was in the camp for a while, she still stayed brave. Being able to leave the prison probably wasn't surprising to her, because she kept her mind set on what is right, and somehow got out. This isn't the only time when Ms. Boom was strong, and brave. After the war, she did something even braver. Following her release, Corrie ten Boom told of her experiences in the Nazi camps and her struggle to forgive her captors. To even try to forgive what someone has done to you physically, and mentally takes a lot of mental strength. If someone wronged me, I know that it is extremely hard for me to forgive people as well, but to try and forgive a group of people who tried to wipe out you believe in, is as hard as trying to break a diamond with your hands. Also, Ms. Boom is brave for talking about such a tragic experience that she had. I believe her best attributes of being mentally strong and brave is one of the reasons why I believe she was a great hero, because it can be hard to be these things, especially during a time where danger is everywhere.

Another thing that made Corrie ten Boom a hero was her ability to stand firm in her beliefs, even when it was pretty much outlawed. Many people would hide their beliefs, but not Corrie, she shared with almost anyone. Corrie ten Boom returned to the Netherlands after the war and set up a rehabilitation center for concentration camp survivors. In the Christian spirit to which she was so devoted, she also took in those who had cooperated with the Germans during the occupation. In 1946, she began a worldwide ministry that took her to more than 60 countries. After she got released from her imprisonment, she continued to help people. Her faith was so strong, that she still helped whoever came to her. She was so kind hearted, she even took in Germans, a race that most people despised at the time due to the war. Although she could have rested at home, and simply ignore what happened during the war, she decided that she would rather take care of the camp survivors, and Germans who have gone through so much. This makes her a hero because she was selfless, and didn't care about her own comforts, and decided that it would be necessary to help others who were having hard times getting over the fact of war. Her faith, and being friendly, and welcoming to a lot of people has also given her trusting allies, Ten Boom knew many in Haarlem, thanks to her charitable work, and remembered a couple who had a developmentally disabled daughter. For about twenty years, ten Boom had run a special church service program for such children, and knew the family. The father was a civil servant who was by then in charge of the local ration-card office. When he asked how many ration cards she needed, "I opened my mouth to say, 'Five,' " ten Boom wrote in The Hiding Place. "But the number that unexpectedly and astonishingly came out instead was. 'One hundred." Being a faithful person put her in good hands. Helping out others never goes unnoticed, and this is a good example of that. Even if you feel like you aren't getting anything out of doing something nice, good things will come to those who wait. Heroes can't do everything on their own, and sometimes, asking for help is the best way to save someone's life. Corrie ten Boom is one of those people who is always in your head, and you can't forget about them no matter how hard you try because she was such an amazing person.

Finally, the most heroic thing she did, was how she selflessly saved Jews, and anyone else who resisted the Nazis. She allowed anyone to come into her house, even though she knew the dangers, and the consequences of letting people in, even if she didn't know them. During the war, the Beje house became a refuge for Jews, students and intellectuals. The facade of the watch shop made the house an ideal front for these activities. A secret room, no larger than a small wardrobe closet, was built into Corrie's bedroom behind a false wall. The space could hold up to six people, all of whom had to stand quiet and still. Corrie ten Boom, and her family could have rejected the Jews, much like a lot of people living where the Nazi's were, but she allowed the Jews to seek shelter. Although their home wasn't big, Corrie ten Boom joyfully allowed them in, even though she knew the costs for housing them. To make sure that the Jews were safe, the ten Booms had a secret room installed inside Corrie's room that was pretty close to her bed. Although it wasn't big, it was the safest place in the house. If she didn't sacrifice what she had, A lot more Jews would have been caught by the Nazis. Her house may look all safe and sound, but there was one flaw, and that was how she let anybody in. On February 28, 1944, the Gestapo raided the Ten Boom home. Six individuals including both Jews and resistance workers managed to reach the secret room and remain undetected during the raid. The Gestapo arrested the entire Ten Boom family. After several days, the Gestapo released all but three family members. Although the ten Boom's got captured, they still saved the other Jews due to the installment of the secret room. This room was so well hidden, that when the Gestapo searched the house, he couldn't find the room. After all this, she escaped imprisonment, wrote a few books, and later moved to Placentia, California where she later died on her 91st birthday due to a stroke. Although she isn't alive anymore, her legacy still lives on to this day.

Corrie ten Boom has such an interesting story, and the way she acted during these times makes her my favorite hero. She saved countless people, even though she isn't superman. She stayed firm in her beliefs, even though she isn't someone like Gandhi, or Buddha. She even stayed strong through the Nazification of everything that she knew, and owned. She is the best hero to ever walk the face of the Earth, because she put her entire lifetime into helping others, and spreading the good news of her religion.