The Student Life Center at Brookdale Community College fell silent on Tuesday, Oct. 7, as Holocaust survivor Maud Dahme took the microphone during the college’s annual Civility Week. Then, with a smile, she broke the ice.

“I’m delighted to be here today and see a big audience,” Dahme said. “Most have the same hair color as me,” she added, drawing laughter from the crowd, which included many senior citizens.

Born in the Netherlands, Dahme was only 6 years old when Nazi Germany invaded her country in 1940. Her parents arranged for her and her 4-year-old sister to be hidden by Christian families who risked their lives to save them.

As a Holocaust survivor, Dahme brought history to life as she shared stories of hiding from the Nazis and her lifelong mission to fight hatred.

“Grief was born in silence, so was rage,” she told the packed room, describing years spent moving from house to house under false names to survive.

Now 89, Dahme urged students to stand up against injustice and embrace civility.

“We must speak, so it doesn’t happen again,” she said, leaving a lasting impression on everyone in the room.

After the war, her family immigrated to the United States, where she learned English at 14 by going to movie theaters and watching the same films repeatedly until she understood.

For many years, Dahme stayed silent about her experiences, until she saw an antisemitic comment in a response to a 60 Minutes segment that compelled her to speak out.

“It was then I realized I couldn’t stay quiet any longer,” she said.

Her message fit the theme of Civility Week, standing up against hate through understanding and respect. “If we forget the past, we are doomed to repeat our mistakes,” Dahme told the audience, earning a standing ovation.

Students walked away, reminded that courage can come from ordinary people, and that speaking out matters.