Port Authority police recruits hear from a Holocaust survivor
Maud Dahme told the recruits about how she and her sister survived while being sheltered by a Christian family when the Nazis occupied the Netherlands.
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Recruits with the Port Authority Police Department Academy on Thursday got to hear the personal testimony of a Holocaust survivor.
Maud Dahme told the recruits about how she and her sister survived while being sheltered by a Christian family when the Nazis occupied the Netherlands.
Dahme says that at one point, she witnessed the murder of six Jewish people, as well as the farm family who had been hiding them.
She says that after the war, she and her sister were reunited with their parents, who had been hidden by the Dutch underground.
By 1950, Dahme’s family emigrated to America and settled in Hoboken. The family eventually settled in Palisades Park after Dahme's father bought into a food business.
"Our recruits were honored to hear from Maude Dahme, a Holocaust survivor whose courage and resilience embody the enduring spirit of humanity in the face of unimaginable adversity," Port Authority Police Superintendent Edward Cetnar said. "Her testimony serves as a profound reminder of the importance of safeguarding human dignity and combating hatred in all its forms. When they graduate next week, they will be entrusted with the responsibility to protect and serve all communities, and it is imperative that we learn from the past to ensure a future rooted in justice, empathy and respect for all individuals."
