Eva Beem

Eva Beem. A victim of the Holocaust. She was born May 21, 1932 in Leuwarden, Holland. Her parents were Hartog and Rosette Beem. Her father was a teacher but that ended too soon. Little Eva was only 8 years old when Germany invaded Holland in May 1941. Immediately after they invaded, Jews were separated from the other citizen in the city. Jews rebelled but didn't even make a dent in the German power. July 1941 they were forced to be sealed in ghettos. Then in May 1942 they were forced to ware the golden star, indicated that they were Jews. The situation only got worst from there, Jews were being sent to transit camps, then moved on to death camps. Instead of giving up hope, Rosette and Hartog decide that the children would be safer to stage as non-Jews. Eva and Abraham were sent to a small village of Ermelo were a Christian family that were willing to risk their lives were waiting for the little ones. The children's names were changed and they were given fake IDs. Eva's new name was now Linnie de Witt. The parents decided that they would hide. And they made it out of the Holocaust alive.  The children's lives went on, they were  enrolled in school and the Christians treated the kids as their own. Eva and Abraham were even able to send coded messages to their parents. Their lives remained like this for 2 years. The Nazi were getting smarter, realizing that there were hundreds of Jewish children hiding as non-Jews. Because of this they intensified their search. Someone gave the children up in trade for money. The Nazis found Eva and Abraham. They were announced publicly that they were Jews February 1944. They were immediately token to Aushwitz death camp. Upon arrival they were murdered March 6, 1944. Little Eva was only 11 years old.

I still can't believe that there were thousand of stories just like hers yet, no one seemed to care. They simple turned their nose up in fear of death, but when you turn away you have already died inside. It is hard to look into the eyes of a young girl and realize that they were forced to grow up much faster than you and yet they only had 11 years to live it. I wish that I could rewrite history and be able to stop it all. But then how would I?