The Hague Holocaust survivor Eddy Boas to attend the screening of Reflections of Courage on May 3 and serve as guest of honor at the National Children’s Memorial on May 4
On Sunday, May 3, 86-year-old The Hague Holocaust survivor Eddy Boas, who emigrated to Australia in 1954, will attend the screening of his documentary Reflections of Courage at Pathé Buitenhof. The following day, Boas will be the guest of honor at the National Children’s Memorial May 4 at Madurodam. On the eve of May 4 and 5, Eddy Boas’s return to his hometown underscores the importance of continuing to remember.
Eddy (Elias) Boas was born on January 26, 1940, in The Hague, into a Jewish family that had lived in the city for generations. After the German invasion on May 10, 1940, Eddy’s father, vegetable merchant Philip Boas, hardly dared to leave their apartment on Kraijenhoffstraat for fear of arrest. In 1942, his mother, Sara Boas-Schoonhoed, managed to arrange a temporary exemption from deportation through the Jewish Council, but on September 28, 1943, the family was arrested after all and deported via Camp Westerbork to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.
The conditions there were inhumane. The father had to remove the bodies of deceased prisoners, the mother worked in the kitchen, and son Samuel helped by gathering up food scraps. In April 1945, the family was put on a transport known as the “lost train,” which traveled aimlessly for weeks. They were finally liberated by Russian soldiers on April 23.
On June 13, the family returned to The Hague, where they were horrified to discover that their home had been occupied by others. In 1947, mother Sara opened a textile shop on Hoefkade, and daughter Estelle was born. The family seemed to be building a new life, but in 1948, father Philip died, presumably as a result of the hardships he had endured. In 1954, Sara decided to emigrate to Australia with her children, where Eddy went on to have a successful career as a businessman and still lives today.
Eddy Boas’s story is unique: his is the only family—consisting of a father, mother, and two brothers aged 4 and 8—that entered a Nazi concentration camp together and survived it together. At the same time, he lost 64 family members in the war. His life story is a powerful testimony to the will to survive, courage, and the resilience of the human spirit.
Book, film, children’s memorial
In August 2017, Eddy Boas’s autobiography I’m not a victim, I am a survivor was published, and in 2025 his personal, internationally acclaimed documentary Reflections of Courage followed. In the film, Boas looks back on his childhood, life in the camp, and the moral choices people make under extreme circumstances. Boas: “The film invites reflection on freedom, moral courage, and the power of humanity.” Like the book, the film showcases Boas’ resilience. The compelling documentary touches and moves many viewers.
On Sunday, May 3, at 3:00 p.m., Eddy Boas will be present at the screening of Reflections of Courage at Pathé Buitenhof. Following the screening, there will be a Q&A session led by Jessica Mendels. A limited number of tickets are still available via LUSTR.
Monday, May 4, Eddy Boas will be the guest of honor at the National Children’s Memorial on May 4 in Madurodam. A video report will also be shown there in which Eddy Boas visits places in The Hague from his childhood with a young reporter.
Eddy Boas’s visit to his hometown of The Hague is organized by LUSTR, in collaboration with Stichting CHAJ and the Municipality of The Hague.
Website Eddy Boas