Thread by @RudiGeerts

The often unrecognized heroism of Belgian Nuns
1/n
Ruth Kurschner, a Holocaust survivor and educator, wrote:
Ruth wrote, “There is one group that I feel has been neglected over the years in Holocaust education: The Belgian nuns who saved the lives of so many Jewish children.”

She added, “I have taught about these brave women whenever I have spoken to school children, and the children have always been very impressed that these religious women dared to defy the Nazis. I personally know a high school friend who lost her entire family but who was saved by

the Belgian nuns. I cannot provide her name because it is too traumatic (even now) for her to discuss it at length. She has told her story to someone else who does speak to school children on her behalf.”
In conclusion Ruth wrote, “I would very much like to see the story about

the nuns (and of course others in the Catholic community, both religious and lay) who saved Jewish children publicized to give credit to these brave women because their bravery and compassion are not widely known. It is long overdue to make it known."
And because of your letter

Ruth, these good nuns and their courageous contributions are not forgotten. In that terrible summer of 1942 in Belgium, some 66,000 Jews were trapped under Nazi occupation. When the Nazis began their brutal roundup of Jewish families, Jewish parents searched desperately for a

safe place to hide their beloved children. Many of these frightened and vulnerable children found sanctuary in Roman Catholic convents and orphanages. About 3,000 Jews were hidden in Belgian convents during the Nazi occupation.
When one of these elderly sisters was asked why

the sisters took the chance that could have ended their own earthly life she mused, “As a Sister of Charity, it was necessary to live up to the name."

* After the war, only half as many were recognized as #Righteous compared with The Netherlands, though many more had been saved.