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2- The Oakville Beaver, Friday November 21, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com Neighbour felt it was his duty to hide Jewish family Continued from page 1 workshop into a temporary home for the Jewish refugees. He wallpapered and painted the room, installed a toilet, and secretly furnished it with chairs, cookery and beds. "It was a miracle no one saw him setting up house," said Laron. Laron was only grateful that she could hide with her parents. Other families had to be split up. On Feb. 7, 1943 under cover of darkness and when the street outside their home was deserted, Laron's family locked their front door and left the only home she had ever known. "I cried for the life that we had to leave behind, that my parents had worked so hard for." The three-minute walk to their refuge was a dangerous trek. It was after curfew. "I hadn't been out in the street this late in a long time. I was terrified we would get caught." Laron was 13 years old. That first night in the Heister home, her father penciled a line on the wallpaper. "When 100 lines are drawn, this war will be over," he said. By the time they came out of hiding there were 786 lines. "Looking back, it's best we didn't know how long we would be forced to hide. My family may not have made it," said Laron. Vulnerable to betrayal, discovery meant imminent death. It was a constant worry. Laron's carefree childhood was gone. "Think about it," said Laron to the congregation. "Imagine being locked up from today to January 2011, facing danger each minute." HOST FAMILY: The Heister family lived around the corner from the home of Betty laron and her parents in Zevenaar, Netherlands during the Second World War. Franz Heiser, right, risked the lives of his wife and two daughters by building a secret apartment in his home to hide Betty laron and her parents. Fresh air became a luxury, food was scarce and Laron's education, virtually eliminated. "We felt lonely and forgotten, useless." To while away the days, they sewed, read, carved wood, made necklaces from melon seeds, and drew sketches with black pencils. "Mr. Heister picked flowers for me, to make life a little more endurable," said Laron. They made furniture for dollhouses and little toys while in exile above the Heister home. The wooden pieces were put on display in the front window of the house. Huge orders came in at Christmas time. It was the Jewish family's way of giving back to their heroic rescuers. Over the years, there were many close calls. A city inspector came to examine the Heister home once, but didn't examine too closely because he didn't head up the stairwell to the hidden quarters. Another time, German soldiers demanded to be put up for a night in the home, but their commander came by and ordered they move to the next posting. June 6, 1944, D-Day, was exhilarating, recalled Laron. The family listened covertly to the news on a repaired old radio. "We thought the end of the war was near," she said. But progress was slow. Hope again came with Operation Market Garden, the Battle for Arnhem, on Sept. 17, 1944. The airborne operation in Holland was the largest in history, but Allied air support was inadequate, and the Germans recovered quickly. It would be seven more months of waiting to be rescued. Through that winter, starvation and desperation pervaded. Bombs teemed down destroying Laron's childhood home in February 1945. Hope came again on April 3, 1945 when Canadian troops marched in Laron's direction. Resenting the defeat, the last three German soldiers remaining in the city ignited every bit of ammunition they could find setting off an explosion that "felt like an earthquake," said Laron. Windows shattered throughout the house. Thankfully, by 6 a.m. that day the Canadian troops arrived. At 2 p.m. Laron finally walked out of the house for the first time in more than two years. "I couldn't grasp the feeling of freedom. I knew it was over, but I was still nervous." Laron saw ruined buildings, blue skies, Dutch flags waving, daffodils in the helmets of the soldiers and finally, she felt the heat of the sun on her face. Celebration reigned. By the time Laron and her family returned to the Heister home late that night, peaceful sleep descended on the eight brave souls who lived under that roof for so long. "We lay down and said `good night' to each other. It was a `good' night." It was certainly a vastly changed one from the first night they arrived in the Heister home on Feb. 7, 1943. Before the Second World War there were 130,000 Jews living in the Netherlands. By the end of it, 106,000 were murdered in concentration camps. Among the 20,000 Jews who went into hiding, half were betrayed and killed. In Zevenaar, where Betty Laron lived, 50 Jewish citizens dwindled to just 12. Christmas House Tour Saturday, December 6 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tour 11 stunning downtown Oakville homes and Appleby College's John Bell Chapel, beautifully decorated for Christmas by Halton's leading interior designers and floral artists. Tickets cost $40. Includes refreshments and entry to marketplace at Appleby College. VIP tickets for Friday, December 5 cost $100, allowing you to pre-tour the homes and enjoy a post-tour cocktail reception. C Celebra the Seas GREAT SELECTION Sofa Suites for Living Rooms & Family Rooms Fabric/Leather Proudly supporting Canadian Manufacturers Order tickets by e-mailing housetour@appleby.on.ca or call 905-842-5265 For a list of retail outlets selling tickets, visit www.appleby.on.ca Appleby College Parents' Association 321 Cornwall Road, Olde Oakville Market Place (next to Whole Foods) 905.815.8777 OAKVILLE WATERLOO 217 Lakeshore Road East Downtown Oakville Since 1953 www.swissinteriors.com 905.844.3530