World War II & Nazi Occupation Survivor To Share Her Story

FORT LAUDERDALE-DAVIE, Fla.– March 14,2014 –

Just when you think you’ve heard every conceivable story from World War II comes the tale of Sipora Groen. Her experiences are detailed in a 2012 book, Jew Face, which chronicles her escape from capture in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam and how one man’s refusal to let her give up resulted in a life well lived.

To share her experiences with today’s generation and to keep the issue of genocide from fading into history, Groen will be sharing her story at a presentation scheduled at Nova Southeastern University. (NSU.) The event is scheduled from 12-2 p.m. Wednesday, April 2^nd at NSU’s Carl DeSantis Building, 3301 College Ave., Davie (NSU’s Main Campus.) After the formal presentation from 12-1 p.m., Groen will participate in a Q&A session with the audience and will be available for media interviews.

As April is home to both Holocaust Remembrance Day (Mon., April 28^th) and the National Holocaust Remembrance Week (April 27-May 4, 2014) Groen’s presentation is very timely. Her presentation is FREE and open to the public. Registration is required as space is limited. Those interested in attending are asked to RSVP via email to groentalk@gmail.com or call 954-262-5808.

Groen’s story is much like that of Anne Frank as she escaped capture by the Nazis and hid from their authority. Unlike Frank, who hid in one place and was eventually found and sent to a concentration camp where she later died, Groen evaded the Nazis by continually moving from place to place – all thanks to her guardian and eventual husband, Nardus Groen.

As detailed in the book about their experiences, Sipora was a nurse in a hospital that had fallen under German control. Soldiers were moving from floor to floor, removing Jews and putting them on trucks that would eventually take them to various concentration camps. Sipora made the decision to patiently wait for them to find her; after all, most of her family had already fallen victim to the Nazi tactics so she figured she didn’t have anything more to live for and would help those also being rounded up who might need medical care.

But Nardus would have none of that.

Before the Nazis reached the third floor – her floor – he convinced her they needed to flee and survive. They didn’t know what would come next, but they both knew they had to live, and live they did. Eventually the war ended and they made their way to the United States.

Nardus is no longer with us, but Sipora is still vibrant at 92 years of age. This one act of bravery – an act of defiance – led to a rich life that saw Sipora and Nardus have five children, 12 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Today, more than ever, it’s important that stories like Sipora’s and Nardus’ are shared and discussed. While The Holocaust is the one instance of genocide that is most widely known, right now there are other such incidents taking place across the globe (i.e. Syria and the Central African Republic.) That’s why it’s so important for survivors to share their stories – otherwise, human nature is we tend to forget and think such situations will never happen again.

The presentation is made possible by Vincent Van Hasselt, Ph.D., clinical director of NSU’s Family Violence Program, Steven Gold, Ph.D., clinical director of NSU’s Trauma Resolution Integration Program (TRIP) and the NSU’s Jewish Psychological Student Association, which is providing light snacks and refreshments for the event.

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About Nova Southeastern University: Situated on 314 beautiful acres in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Nova Southeastern University (NSU) is a dynamic, fully accredited research institution dedicated to providing high-quality educational programs at all levels.  NSU is a not-for-profit independent institution with an enrollment of 27,000 students. NSU awards associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, specialist, doctoral and first-professional degrees in a wide range of fields.  NSU is classified as a research university with “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, and it is one of only 37 universities nationwide to also be awarded Carnegie’s Community Engagement Classification.  For more information, please visit www.nova.edu. Celebrating 50 years of academic excellence!

Media Contacts:

Joe Donzelli | Office of Public Affairs
954-262-2159 (office)
954-661-4571 (cell)
jdonzelli@nova.edu