Maud Dahme, Holocaust Survivor and “Hidden Child,” Reminds Us that Courage, Compassion, and Kindness Can Endure Even Through Humanity’s Darkest Chapters

MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ — The room at the Borough of Mountainside Community Center was filled when Maud Dahme began to speak. Calm, composed, and at times even gently funny, Dahme quickly commanded the attention of everyone, as she opened a window into what life was like as a Jewish child during World War II.The program was hosted by the Rotary Club of Mountainside, which invited Dahme to share her presentation, titled “Hidden Child,” with community members. Her remarks told the story of a childhood interrupted by Nazi occupation, fear, separation, hunger, and survival — but also by extraordinary courage from strangers who risked their own lives, so others could live.Dahme, a Holocaust survivor and longtime educator, has devoted much of her adult life to Holocaust education. She was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2014 as an “Unsung Hero” and has been a longtime member of the New Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education.What It Meant to Be a Hidden ChildA “hidden child” was a Jewish child concealed during the Holocaust, often under a false name, in a home, farm, convent, or other location where discovery could mean death for the child and for the people protecting them.Dahme was six and a half years old, and her sister was four and a half, when they were separated from their parents and sent into hiding in the Netherlands. Her parents were faced with an impossible decision: send their young daughters away with strangers, not knowing where they would go, or risk their deportation by the Nazis.As Dahme recalled, her mother told her that she and her sister were going on a vacation to a farm. Only later would she understand the truth.A Childhood of Fear and CourageDahme described waking in May 1940 to the sound of German planes overhead as the Netherlands were invaded. As restrictions against Jews increased, children were removed from public schools, families were forced to identify themselves, and fear tightened around everyday life.Eventually, Dahme and her sister were taken to a farm to stay with a couple who took them in, gave them new names, and told them to pretend they were nieces whose home had been bombed. They were warned not to reveal who they were, never answer the door if someone knocked, and to stay away from the windows.The couple who took them in had no children of their own and were already in their 60s. Still, they chose to risk everything.In the midst of constant danger, Dahme recalls praying constantly.Reunited After WarAfter years in hiding, Dahme and her sister survived and were eventually reunited with their parents. The reunion, however, was not simple. As a child, she barely recognized them after so much time apart.Her family’s survival was rare. Dahme spoke of relatives who were murdered at Sobibor, a death camp in Poland, and of returning to a life where homes were emptied, possessions were gone, and everything had to begin again.Dahme later immigrated to the United States and built a life devoted to remembrance, education, and teaching future generations. Her story has also been shared through her memoir, Chocolate, the Taste of Freedom: The Holocaust Memoir of a Hidden Dutch Child.Choosing Love Over HateThroughout the presentation, Dahme’s strength was not loud. It was steady. She spoke with honesty about fear, hunger, loss, and the people who saved her. At 90 years old, she is still traveling extensively to share her story because of the historical value and importance it holds - teaching younger generations to learn and understand what happened so we do not forget. During the question-and-answer portion of the program, one participant asked Dahme how she dealt with the anger she may have felt as she grew older. Dahme said she does not carry anger. As a positive person, she chose to focus on gratitude and the life she was able to build instead.“I’m so happy I’m alive. I’m here,” Dahme exclaimed with joy, reminding the audience that hatred did not define the rest of her life. She acknowledged that telling her story is difficult because, each time she speaks, she relives what happened. Still, sharing her experience has helped her confront parts of her past while giving younger generations a deeper understanding of what hatred can do — and why compassion matters.She also pointed to what survival made possible: a family that now includes four children, nine grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.It was a fitting final message from a woman who survived hatred, yet chose to spend her life teaching gratitude, kindness, and the importance of caring for one another — and a reminder that true courage is sometimes found in strangers willing to risk everything to save someone they do not know.Her story teaches one simple but powerful lesson: kindness is not small. Sometimes it is the bravest choice a person can make — the choice that saves a life and protects the future of the next generations yet to come.Article Update: Watch Maud's video below - courtesy of the Borough of Mountainside's Youtube Page: