Betsie ten Boom
Encyclopedia
Elisabeth ten Boom was one of the leading characters in The Hiding Place
, a book written by her sister Corrie ten Boom
about the family's experiences during World War II
. Nicknamed Betsie, she suffered with pernicious anemia
from her birth. The oldest of five Ten Boom
children, she did not leave the family and marry, but remained at home until World War II
.
Her younger sister Corrie later took over the bookkeeping role when Betsie caught influenza
. After Corrie took over at the watchshop, Betsie began housekeeping and continued to do so until 1944.
and believed strongly in the equality of all people before God. One of the brothers was a minister and the sisters had been active in charitable work before the war. During the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, the family began to hide numerous Jews and resisters in their home, and built a secret room to protect them.
In 1944, the family and other people at the house, about 30 in all, were arrested for their resistance activities and taken to Schevingengen prison. (The six Jews in hiding at the house were not discovered and survived, with the help of other Resistance workers.) The father Casper ten Boom
became ill and died 10 days later at the prison. A brother, sister and nephew were released.
After some time, Betsie and her sister Corrie ten Boom
were sent to Ravensbrück concentration camp
. Her strong faith in God
kept her from depression throughout her life and especially within the camps. Her sister Corrie told of how Betsie reached out to help others and helped Corrie to see the best in everything, no matter what the circumstance.
Before her death, Betsie claimed to experience three visions from God about what she and Corrie were to do after their release. She believed they would be released by the New Year. Her first vision was of a house for former prisoners. The second was to own a concentration camp where they could teach Germans to learn to love again. The third was that she and Corrie would travel the world telling what they had learned of God while in the camps. Betsie died there on December 16, 1944, at the age of 59.
Betsie and their father Casper ten Boom were honored in 2008 as Righteous Among the Nations
. Her sister Corrie had been honored before.
The Hiding Place (biography)
The Hiding Place is a 1971 book on the life of Corrie ten Boom, written by ten Boom together with John and Elizabeth Sherrill.The idea of a book on ten Boom's life began as John and Elizabeth Sherrill were doing research for the book God's Smuggler, about ten Boom's fellow Dutchman, Brother Andrew...
, a book written by her sister Corrie ten Boom
Corrie ten Boom
Cornelia "Corrie" ten Boom was a Dutch Christian, who with her father and other family members helped many Jews escape the Nazi Holocaust during World War II. Her family was arrested due to an informant in 1944, and her father died 10 days later at Scheveningen prison where they were first held...
about the family's experiences during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Nicknamed Betsie, she suffered with pernicious anemia
Pernicious anemia
Pernicious anemia is one of many types of the larger family of megaloblastic anemias...
from her birth. The oldest of five Ten Boom
Ten Boom
Ten Boom is a Dutch surname, and can refer to:* Corrie ten Boom , author and Holocaust survivor who helped many Jews escape the Nazis during World War II* Betsie ten Boom , Corrie's sister, also helped hide Jews in their home...
children, she did not leave the family and marry, but remained at home until World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Congenital pernicious anemia
Betsie suffered with a special case of pernicious anemia that started in her early childhood, called congenital (or juvenile) pernicious anemia. This case is believed to be caused by a malfunction of the gastric juices of intrinsic factor during the nine weeks before birth. Betsie's illness prevented her from bearing children, so she chose, at a young age, not to marry.Career and education
Betsie was educated in the local primary and secondary school until the age of 15. She remained at home to work with her father in his watchshop, where she served as the bookkeeper. She also cooked for their family.Her younger sister Corrie later took over the bookkeeping role when Betsie caught influenza
Influenza
Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...
. After Corrie took over at the watchshop, Betsie began housekeeping and continued to do so until 1944.
1940-1944
The Ten Boom family belonged to the Dutch Reformed ChurchDutch Reformed Church
The Dutch Reformed Church was a Reformed Christian denomination in the Netherlands. It existed from the 1570s to 2004, the year it merged with the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands to form the Protestant Church in the...
and believed strongly in the equality of all people before God. One of the brothers was a minister and the sisters had been active in charitable work before the war. During the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, the family began to hide numerous Jews and resisters in their home, and built a secret room to protect them.
In 1944, the family and other people at the house, about 30 in all, were arrested for their resistance activities and taken to Schevingengen prison. (The six Jews in hiding at the house were not discovered and survived, with the help of other Resistance workers.) The father Casper ten Boom
Casper ten Boom
Casper ten Boom was a Dutch Christian who helped many Jews and resisters escape the Nazis during the Holocaust of World War II. He is the father of Betsie and Corrie ten Boom, who also aided the Jews and were sent to Ravensbruck concentration camp; only Corrie survived...
became ill and died 10 days later at the prison. A brother, sister and nephew were released.
After some time, Betsie and her sister Corrie ten Boom
Corrie ten Boom
Cornelia "Corrie" ten Boom was a Dutch Christian, who with her father and other family members helped many Jews escape the Nazi Holocaust during World War II. Her family was arrested due to an informant in 1944, and her father died 10 days later at Scheveningen prison where they were first held...
were sent to Ravensbrück concentration camp
Ravensbrück concentration camp
Ravensbrück was a notorious women's concentration camp during World War II, located in northern Germany, 90 km north of Berlin at a site near the village of Ravensbrück ....
. Her strong faith in God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
kept her from depression throughout her life and especially within the camps. Her sister Corrie told of how Betsie reached out to help others and helped Corrie to see the best in everything, no matter what the circumstance.
Before her death, Betsie claimed to experience three visions from God about what she and Corrie were to do after their release. She believed they would be released by the New Year. Her first vision was of a house for former prisoners. The second was to own a concentration camp where they could teach Germans to learn to love again. The third was that she and Corrie would travel the world telling what they had learned of God while in the camps. Betsie died there on December 16, 1944, at the age of 59.
Betsie and their father Casper ten Boom were honored in 2008 as Righteous Among the Nations
Righteous Among the Nations
Righteous among the Nations of the world's nations"), also translated as Righteous Gentiles is an honorific used by the State of Israel to describe non-Jews who risked their lives during the Holocaust to save Jews from extermination by the Nazis....
. Her sister Corrie had been honored before.