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The Hiding Place
Study Guide
by Carol Diehn
For the novel by Corrie ten Boom
with John and Elizabeth Sherrill
CD Version
Grades 6–8 Reproducible Pages #302
The Hiding Place
Study Guide
by Carol Diehn
CD Version
Note regarding “The Power of Light,” by Isaac Bashevis Singer: The study at the
end of this guide was added as a companion to The Hiding Place, but is not directly
connected to that novel. “The Power of Light” may be found in Stories for Children, a
collection of short stories by Isaac Bashevis Singer.
© 1992 Progeny Press 1
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Limited permission to reproduce this study guide.
Purchase of this study guide entitles an individual teacher
to reproduce pages for use in the classroom or home.
Multiple teachers may not reproduce pages
from the same study guide.
Sale of any printed copy from this CD is strictly and specifically prohibited.
The Hiding Place Study Guide
A Progeny Press Study Guide
by Carol Diehn
with Rachel Smit-Oistad, Michael Gilleland
Copyright © 1992 Progeny Press
All rights reserved.
Reproduction or translation of any part of this work
beyond that permitted by Section 107 or 108 of the
1976 United States Copyright Act without the written
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Requests for permission or other information should be
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ISBN 978-1-58609-336-5 Book
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2 © 1992 Progeny Press
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Table of Contents
Note to Instructor .....................................................................................................4
Synopsis ....................................................................................................................5
Background Information ..........................................................................................6
About the Authors ....................................................................................................7
Ideas for Pre-, Mid-, and Post-Reading ......................................................................8
Chapters 1 and 2 ....................................................................................................11
Chapters 3 and 4 ....................................................................................................15
Chapters 5, 6, and 7 ...............................................................................................18
Chapters 8 and 9 ....................................................................................................21
Chapters 10, 11, and 12 .........................................................................................25
Chapters 13 and 14 ................................................................................................29
Chapter 15 .............................................................................................................32
Conclusion .............................................................................................................34
Answer Key .............................................................................................................36
The Power of Light, short story study ........................................................................39
The Power of Light, Answer Key ..............................................................................44
Suggestions for Further Reading .............................................................................45
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The Hiding Place Study Guide
Note to Instructor
How to Use Progeny Press Study Guides. Progeny Press study guides are designed
to help students better understand and enjoy literature by getting them to notice and
understand how authors craft their stories and to show them how to think through
the themes and ideas introduced in the stories. To properly work through a Progeny
Press study guide, students should have easy access to a good dictionary, a thesaurus, a
Bible (we use NIV translation, but that is up to your preference; just be aware of some
differences in language), and sometimes a topical Bible or concordance. Supervised
access to the Internet also can be helpful at times, as can a good set of encyclopedias.
Most middle grades and high school study guides take from eight to ten weeks
to complete, generally working on one section per week. Over the years, we have
found that it works best if the students completely read the novel the first week, while
also working on a prereading activity chosen by the parent or teacher. Starting the second
week, most parents and teachers have found it works best to work on one study
guide page per day until the chapter sections are completed. Students should be
allowed to complete questions by referring to the book; many questions require some
cross-reference between elements of the stories.
Most study guides contain an Overview section that can be used as a final test,
or it can be completed in the same way the chapter sections were completed. If you
wish to perform a final test but your particular study guide does not have an
Overview section, we suggest picking a couple of questions from each section of the
study guide and using them as your final test.
Most study guides also have a final section of essays and postreading activities.
These may be assigned at the parents’ or teachers’ discretion, but we suggest that students
engage in several writing or other extra activities during the study of the novel
to complement their reading and strengthen their writing skills.
As for high school credits, most Christian high schools with whom we have
spoken have assigned a value of one-fourth credit to each study guide, and this also
seems to be acceptable to colleges assessing homeschool transcripts.
Internet References
All websites listed in this study guide were checked for appropriateness at the time of
publication. However, due to the changing nature of the Internet, we cannot guarantee
that the URLs listed will remain appropriate or viable. Therefore, we urge parents and
teachers to take care in and exercise careful oversight of their children’s use of the Internet.
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The Hiding Place Study Guide
Synopsis
“You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word . . .
Hold me up, and I will be safe . . .”
Psalm 119:114, 117
The year is 1937. The place is Haarlem in the south of Holland. Our story, The
Hiding Place, opens as the ten Boom family celebrates 100 years of watchmaking in
their home, a place called the Beje (pronounced bay-yay).
Corrie, a middle-aged woman, is our central character, along with her sister, Betsie,
seven years her senior. This is a true account of God-given courage. These women
lived in the time of the German Nazi invasion of Holland during World War II.
As Christian people they reached out to offer assistance to the Jews being persecuted
and often put to death by the Nazis. Their compassion extended to providing a
secret room in their home in which the Jewish people could hide during Nazi raids.
Thus, Corrie becomes steeped in the underground activity of protecting Jews in
Holland during a perilous time in world history.
With danger, suspense, and dire consequences, Corrie and Betsie follow God’s
leading. They struggle with difficult moral questions and find there are no easy
answers.
The Hiding Place is more than the story of two sisters who end up in a concentration
camp. It is an account of life’s struggles—of overcoming evil, of forgiving and
loving enemies, and of finding security amidst great insecurity. Can God actually be a
hiding place for those living in great pain and insecurity? Is there truly a safe place
when all around is danger? Corrie ten Boom not only knew the answers to these difficult
questions, she lived them out.
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Background Information
Many historians believe the causes of World War II can be traced to problems left
unresolved by World War I. Political unrest and poor economic conditions set the
stage for dictatorships to arise in several countries (Germany, Italy, and Japan among
them).
In 1933, Adolf Hitler came to power in Germany. He ruled without regard to law,
using terror and secret police to crush any opposition. From the beginning, Hitler
preached that Germans were the “superior race,” and that Jews and Slavs were inferior.
He not only began a campaign to rid the world of the Jewish people but to conquer
the world as well.
Germany, Italy, and Japan formed an alliance known as the Axis. The United States,
Great Britain, China, and the Soviet Union were the major powers fighting the Axis.
They were called the Allies. By the end of the war 50 nations had joined the Allies.
Hitler won swift victories in the fall of 1939 as his troops invaded Poland. From
April to July of 1940, Germany invaded Denmark, Norway, Belgium, and Holland
(also known as the Netherlands), and German invasions continued, spreading from
the Soviet Union to France to North Africa.
By 1945, Allied troops were clearly headed toward victory, but much of Europe
and the Pacific were in ruins. In April 1945, Adolf Hitler took his own life, leaving
behind a legacy of unimaginable destruction and evil. Six million Jewish men,
women, and children—over two-thirds of the Jews in Europe—were killed by the
Nazis. Historians estimate that at least 5 million more people, Gypsies, Poles, and
Slavs, were murdered at this time as well.
In World War II, 17 million soldiers also lost their lives. It was a devastating time,
and this tremendous loss of life was felt throughout the world.
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About the Authors
After living through the harrowing experiences of World War II and the concentration
camps, Corrie traveled to various parts of the world speaking of the hope and victory
of Jesus Christ in her life. During one such occasion she met American authors John
and Elizabeth Sherrill. Interest piqued, the Sherrills pursued putting Corrie’s story and
words into print; and thus was born The Hiding Place.
Both Sherrills are Guideposts magazine editors. Their previous books include The
Cross and the Switchblade, They Speak with Other Tongues, and God’s Smuggler.
Corrie ten Boom has written many devotional books as well. On April 1, 1983, at
the age of 91, Corrie died in peace and left behind a legacy of faith.
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Ideas for Pre-, Mid-, and Post-Reading
1. Character Chart
Begin a character chart listing personality traits of several people in The Hiding
Place. Look up Galatians 5:22, 23; 1 Corinthians 13:4–7; and Colossians 3:12–17.
List fruits of the Spirit you see in each life.
Making it Personal:
a. Looking at the scriptures listed above, what evidence of God working in your
life do you see?
b. What fruits of the Spirit would you like to see more of in your own life?
c. Have you ever asked God for this?
d. Matthew 7:16–20 says believers are known by their fruit. What does this
mean?
e. By what fruit are you known? If you are unsure, ask a few close friends or a parent
to help you decide.
2. Adolf Hitler
a. Do a one-page report on the life of Adolf Hitler.
b. Discuss in your report what effects circumstances of his childhood may have
had on his attitudes.
c. Why do you think the German people were willing to follow him and his
unsound teaching (that Germans were the superior race, Jews and Slavs the
inferior races)?
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3. Betsie and Corrie
a. Contrast the personalities of the two main characters, Betsie and Corrie.
b. Examine their attitudes toward others, their fears, and the things in which they
find joy or difficulty.
c. How were they different physically?
d. What did they or could they learn from each other?
Making it personal:
a. God has made us each unique and special. Read through Psalm 139. In verse
14 of Psalm 139 the Lord declares you wonderfully made. What do you think
about that?
b. Look at your closest friend or friends. How are you different? How are you the
same?
c. God seems to put friends together who “balance each other out” or complement
and encourage one another. Although the Bible tells us not to compare
ourselves to others and wish we were someone else (2 Corinthians 10:12), we
know we can learn from one another. Think of things you may have learned
from a friend or family member.
4. Holland
a. Check out information on the country of Holland in the 1930s and 1940s.
What can you find out about the Dutch people, their attitudes, land, culture,
and religious tendencies?
5. Word Pictures
a. Corrie and Betsie’s father uses word pictures in several places. (A word picture is
a short example or story, generally from the listener’s own experience, illustrating
a point to make it more vivid or clear to the listener.) Give an example of
one of Mr. ten Boom’s word pictures. What point is he making?
b. Jesus often does the same thing in parables. Can you find some examples in the
Gospels?
c. Make up your own word picture of something you would like to convey to a
younger brother or sister. (Word pictures can convey both positive and negative
messages.)
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6. Interview
Interview someone who lived through or fought in WWII. Perhaps a grandfather,
uncle, or neighbor was in combat. Ask them to tell you something of what war conditions
were like. Perhaps a grandmother, aunt, or friend worked in a munitions plant
back here in the United States. What was the general feeling of people back home?
What did they do to show support for the men in combat? When did they become
aware of the tragic persecution and deaths of so many Jews and others?
7. The Power of Light
The Power of Light, a short story by Isaac Bashevis Singer, tells the story of David and
Rebecca, two teen-agers hiding from the Nazis in the ruins of the Warsaw ghetto.
Even in the darkest of circumstances, they find peace and hope as they celebrate
Hanukkah. Together they escape from Poland and make their way to the land of
Israel. Included at the end of this study guide is a short study on The Power of Light
that can be used in conjunction with The Hiding Place. This story can be found in
Stories for Children, a collection of short stories by Isaac Bashevis Singer.
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Chapters 1 & 2
Vocabulary:
Looking closely at the context of the following sentences taken from the novel, determine
the meanings of the underlined words. Compare your definitions with those of
the dictionary.
1. Usually it was fog in January in Holland, dank, chill and gray.
Your definition:
Dictionary definition:
2. “Christoffels, my dear associate,” Father murmured in his formal, old fashioned
way, “what joy to see you on this—er—auspicious day.”
Your definition:
Dictionary definition:
3. Father, however, was distressed. “Not competitors, Peter!” he said reprovingly.
“Colleagues!”
Your definition:
Dictionary definition:
4. Hans was passing cakes in the back room, as was Toos in the front, wearing the
nearest thing to a smile that her perpetually downdrawn lips would permit.
Your definition:
Dictionary definition:
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5. Young and old, poor and rich, scholarly gentlemen and illiterate servant girls—
only to Father did it seem that they were all alike.
Your definition:
Dictionary definition:
6. In heaven, I fervently believed, everybody had footwarmers.
Your definition:
Dictionary definition:
7. He sank his ponderous bulk into a chair beside Father, fixed one eye on me, the
other on the ceiling, and said, “Five lumps, please.”
Your definition:
Dictionary definition:
8. And with a baleful glance at the big brown hat, she picked up the little fur one
and started after Betsie round the stairs down to breakfast.
Your definition:
Dictionary definition:
Questions:
1. Describe Father’s personality.
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One of his character qualities is wisdom. Give an example of a time he
expresses his wisdom to Corrie as he answers her questions and/or calms her
fears.
2. Foreshadowing is a device authors use to indicate something that is to come. It
can be a sort of warning. For example, black clouds indicate or foreshadow a
storm. Find several examples of foreshadowing in Chapter 1. How do these
affect your expectations of later events?
3. “Tante Jans believed that our welfare in the hereafter depended on how much
we could accomplish here on earth.” Did Tante Jans believe we could earn our
way into heaven?
What do you think? List some verses from the Bible to support your thoughts.
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Dig Deeper:
Do a word study from the Bible on wisdom. Using a Bible concordance, look up the
word wisdom. See where and how this word is used in the Bible. Read Proverbs 4.
What is your definition of wisdom?
We hear a lot about making wise choices. What does this mean to you? What wise
choice have you made recently? (Remember choices are both major and minor.
Choosing to respond to a younger brother with a kind word when you feel like being
unkind is a wise choice.)
Who do you know that you consider to be a wise person? What about this person
causes you to think of him or her as wise?
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Chapters 3 & 4
Vocabulary:
Match these words with their appropriate definitions on the right.
___ irretrievable a. forsaken; deserted
___ implicit b. impossible to get back or fix
___ aimless c. skillfully
___ deftly d. series, following in order
___ infinitesimal e. meant, but not directly said
___ inventory f. complete and detailed list
___ derelict g. remarkable
___ baffled h. extremely small
___ succession i. puzzled, confused
___ phenomenal j. without purpose
___ taciturn k. disgrace
___ ignominy l. reserved, quiet
Questions:
1. What did Mama mean when she said “Happiness isn’t something that depends
on our surroundings, Corrie. It’s something we make inside ourselves”?
2. How did Tante Jans change her attitude about earning her way into heaven
with all of her good deeds?
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On what or whom did she depend as she faced death?
3. Do you think Karel led Corrie to believe there was more to his relationship
with her than actually existed?
How did Corrie’s family come to her rescue as Karel and his fiancée visited the
Beje?
How did Corrie manage to put her feelings for Karel in a new perspective?
4. What action did Father take when he learned of Otto’s mistreatment of
Christoffels?
5. In Chapter 4 Betsie falls ill and Corrie takes over her responsibilities in the
shop. What do Corrie and Betsie discover as they reverse roles?
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How do individual roles in your own family reflect talents, strengths, and “gift
areas”? (For example, someone who loves animals may enjoy tending to the
family’s pet.)
Read through I Corinthians 12:12-27. How does this passage reflect the importance
of each individual within a church or family?
6. Some events in the story are written out of order. Name several instances of
flashbacks (a place where the author stops the story and describes something
from the past). Why did the author do this?
Special Activity:
Can you name situations in your city or country where disrespect for others occurs?
How about racial tension? Describe such an event that you or someone in your family
saw, or look for a newspaper article telling about racial strife or disrespect for a certain
segment of our population.
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Chapters 5, 6 & 7
Vocabulary:
Look up the definitions of the following words. Use them in a sentence.
1. premonition
2. groped
3. venture
4. edict
5. venerable
6. relics
7. aplomb
8. subtle
9. awestruck
10. premature
11. tantalizing
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Questions:
1. Why did Father turn off the radio midway through the Prime Minister’s message
on the issue of war?
2. Compare Corrie’s and Betsie’s reactions to the dreamlike vision Corrie had as
Holland was being bombed.
3. What is an anti-Semite?
4. What were some of the changes that Holland endured during the first few
months after the German invasion?
5. Psalm 68:20 says “God is to us a God of deliverances; and to the Lord belong
escapes from death.” What almost happened to Corrie during a night of bombing
raids?
What did Betsie mean when she said, “There are no ‘ifs’ in God’s world”?
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6. What was the National Socialist Bond (NSB)?
7. Who introduced Corrie to the underground?
What were some hard questions she asked herself regarding the right or wrong
of underground activity?
8. How was Fred Koornstra instrumental in helping Corrie and her family to keep
Jews in safety at their home?
9. Who was Mr. Smit?
10. Describe two members of the ten Boom’s secret family.
11. How was it possible that the people living in the Beje seemed to continue to be
happy despite everything going on around them?
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Chapters 8 & 9
Vocabulary:
Synonyms are words with similar meanings. Substitute each underlined word in the
sentences below with its synonym from the Word Box.
Word Box
_________________________________________________________________________
secret distrustfully group carefully
charm paralyzed accusing shaking
badge loitered sprawling brainstorm
_________________________________________________________________________
1. Standing a few feet away, seemingly immobilized by some terrible emotion, was
old Katrien from Nollie’s house! _________________
2. Lolling about the foyer, sniffing from time to time at my legs and hands, were
three perfectly huge Doberman pinschers. _________________
3. Eusie had an inspiration. _________________
4. I fumbled with the lock and drew the door gingerly back.
_________________
5. I glanced at his insignia. _________________
6. “What was that?” Otto whirled around suspiciously. _________________
7. I dawdled at the door as long as I dared; definitely his suspicions were aroused.
_________________
8. I tried to imply clandestine dealings with a high occupation official.
_________________
9. It had become a kind of talisman for me, a safeguard against the terrors of
prison. _________________
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10. An elderly retired missionary was brought in, jaw quivering with fear.
_________________
11. He says we can flush incriminating papers if we shred them fine enough.
_________________
12. A contingent of German soldiers seemed to be supplementing the regular
police force. _________________
Questions:
1. Why did Corrie especially worry at mealtime about the possibility of their
underground operation being discovered?
2. What happened at Nollie’s house that so shocked old Katrien?
Why was it so shocking to Katrien and Corrie?
In this instance and others, Nollie refused to lie because of her conviction
regarding God’s concern for truth. Corrie, however, sometimes lied because of
her conviction regarding God’s concern for life. Whose actions did God honor?
What were the consequences of their actions?
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A conviction is a strong belief upon which life decisions may be based. With
this in mind, do you lean toward Nollie’s conviction or Corrie’s? Why?
For Discussion:
What are some of your other convictions regarding your own relationship with
God? These can range from decisions involving the kinds of movies you watch
to the kinds of friends you choose.
3. What problem did Corrie have as she practiced being questioned by the
Gestapo?
Do you think this is ironic considering Corrie’s feelings about Nollie’s truthfulness?
Explain. (Remember that irony is an event or outcome opposite of what
would naturally be expected.)
4. What did the police chief request of Corrie?
What was Corrie’s response? Do you think it was logical and/or effective?
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5. How did the visit and request from the man of Ermelo foreshadow the raid on
the Beje?
Do you think he was an informant for the Gestapo?
6. Early in Chapter 9, Corrie describes her prison bag as “a kind of talisman for
me, a safeguard against the terrors of prison.” What do you think was the purpose
for her having to leave behind the thing that she thought would protect
her in prison?
7. Give an overview of the events that take place in Chapter 9. List at least six
important events, and in a few sentences tell how they relate to each other.
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Chapters 10, 11 & 12
Vocabulary:
Match each vocabulary word with its antonym (opposite).
___ amiability a. unimaginable
___ imperturbable b. free
___ gaunt c. improper
___ conceivable d. unfriendliness
___ confined e. truth
___ sacrosanct f. easily disturbed
___ pretense g. unholy
___ propriety h. fat
___ pompous i. humble
___ ravenous j. full
Questions:
1. The Gestapo chief was willing to send Father home if he would give his word
to not “cause any more trouble.” What was Father’s answer?
This was clearly the more difficult path to choose. Why do you think Father
responded as he did? (Compare Father’s answer with the apostles’ answer in
Acts 4:18–20.)
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Making it Personal:
What do you think your response might have been?
Explain how a positive or negative answer might reflect a person’s commitment
to Christ.
2. What was the one thing Corrie learned to fear above all else at Scheveningen?
How was this fear exhibited by Corrie and her fellow prisoners? Name at least
four behaviors or activities that reflected this fear.
3. What item in the packet from the nurse did Corrie desire most?
Why do you think the authorities threatened to double the sentence for anyone
who possessed one?
4. What were some activities that helped Corrie keep her sanity during her time
of solitary confinement?
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5. How did Corrie hear of Father’s death?
How did she first respond?
How did her feelings change?
6. List three ways in which Lieutenant Rahms helped Corrie.
What “gift” did Willem give the lieutenant?
7. Betsie and Corrie were very different emotionally, spiritually, and physically.
What struggles did they each have?
How did each use her strengths to support the other in the camp and on the
trains?
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8. A foil is something or someone who, by contrast, reveals the characteristics of
something else. For example, the red cellophane Corrie fastened around the
light bulb in her cell in Chapter 10 was a foil to the rest of her room by contrasting
with its shabbiness. How is Betsie a foil to her surroundings in Vught?
How did this contrast affect Corrie?
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Chapters 13 & 14
Vocabulary:
Circle the one of the three words that best defines the vocabulary word. Check the
dictionary to ensure a correct answer.
1. notorious famous, fake, fumbling
2. vista conviction, view, purple
3. deluge stable, quart, flood
4. quarantine scent, workshop, isolation
5. contemptuous scornful, grateful, willful
6. grotesque stormy, simple, hideous
7. sequestered selected, hidden away, taken
8. aristocratic witty, noble, wearisome
9. acrid acreage, pungent, triangular
10. surveillance guard, incline, survey
Questions:
1. When the women first see Ravensbruck, Corrie uses two similes (descriptive
comparisons using “like” or “as”) to describe it. What do these descriptions tell
you about Ravensbruck?
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Write two similes of your own to describe the extermination camp.
2. Several events occur in Chapter 13 that appear to be unexplainable. (The guard
does not take away the sweater, vitamins, or Bible; the change in attitude of the
women of Barracks 28; the bottomless vitamin bottle.) How does Corrie
account for these things? How do you explain them? Give evidence for both
answers.
3. What did Corrie mean when she observed that “life in Ravensbruck took place
on two separate levels”?
List at least three events or things for each of these two “levels” to characterize
them (show what they were like).
Making it Personal:
Have you ever found yourself in difficult circumstances and yet having peace
on the inside?
What gave you that peace?
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Read Colossians 3:12–17. What things does this passage encourage us to do?
4. In Chapter 13, Betsie encouraged Corrie to thank God for the fleas in their
barracks, but Corrie could find no good reason to. What did they discover in
Chapter 14 that changed Corrie’s mind?
5. What happened to Corrie when she began trying harder to take care of Betsie
and protect the two of them?
What did Corrie realize about her own power to change things?
6. What are some things the blue sweater may have symbolized for Corrie? Would
these have been good or bad for Corrie?
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Chapter 15
Questions:
1. After Corrie’s grueling trip to freedom in Holland, how did her stay at the hospital
in Groningen help heal her emotionally and physically? (Consider what
she says about lying in bed during her first night in the hospital.)
2. Who or what did Corrie miss most at the Beje?
3. How were Betsie’s visions fulfilled—by organized effort or some other means?
As people found their way to Bloemendaal, what were some of the ways they
worked out their pain and hurt?
4. Who was the man who approached Corrie after she spoke in a church in
Munich?
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How did she find forgiveness for him?
What do you think the handshake meant to the man? To Corrie?
Making it Personal
Have you ever found yourself saying the words, “I forgive you” only to realize
later the hurt or offense has not really gone away?
What do you think makes the difference between real forgiveness and merely
saying “I forgive you”?
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Conclusion
1. Think about the numerous characters in this novel: Corrie, Betsie, Willem,
Father, Pickwick, Rolf, etc. As you think through each one’s unique personality
and reactions to adversity, with whom do you find that you identify most?
Why?
2. Betsie seemed to have unconditional love for every person, especially those who
harmed her and others. She wanted to help them and teach them the love she
had found. Often, Corrie reacted initially in anger to those who harmed her
and Betsie. Who do you feel was most right? Why?
3. In looking back at this novel what or who are the numerous hiding places?
Remember the Beje became one of the first hiding places.
Read Psalms 32:7 and 119:14. What was the “hiding place” Corrie always had
with her?
The Hiding Place Study Guide
34 © 1992 Progeny Press
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When life gets confusing or difficult for you, who or where is your safe place?
“You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word . . .
Hold me up, and I will be safe . . .”
The Hiding Place Study Guide
© 1992 Progeny Press 35
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The Power of Light
by Isaac Bashevis Singer
Synopsis:
Hiding from the Nazis, David and Rebecca escape from the Warsaw ghetto and
through much danger and hardship, they eventually arrive in Israel.
Vocabulary:
Match the word on the left with the definition on the right.
1. ___ persecution a. scanty, insufficient
2. ___ benediction b. dilemma
3. ___ affliction c. prayer
4. ___ dominion d. abuse
5. ___ predicament e. ally, supporter
6. ___ partisan f. someone in hiding
7. ___ dreidel g. pain, burdens
8. ___ refugee h. starved
9. ___ meager i. control
10. ___ emaciated j. top, a toy
The Hiding Place Study Guide
© 1992 Progeny Press 39
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Descriptive Words:
An author will use descriptive language to tell about a place or event or to set a
mood, giving the reader a better picture in her mind of the action in the story. Define
the descriptive words underlined in the following sentences.
1. For weeks Rebecca had not left the dark, partially collapsed cellar that was their
hiding place.
definition:
2. Ravenously they ate the frozen potatoes, the mushrooms, and part of the
cheese.
definition:
3. Some peasants stealthily helped the partisans and those who were running away
from the Nazis.
definition:
4. Both David and Rebecca were diligent students.
definition:
5. “We’ll give the dreidel to Menahem Eliezer when he is old enough to understand
what we went through and how miraculously we were saved.”
definition:
Questions:
1. Write a short paragraph explaining how David provided food for them and
why it was dangerous.
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40 © 1992 Progeny Press
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2. What is Hanukkah? Use a dictionary or encyclopedia and write a 2–3 sentence
description.
3. They had hidden in darkness for weeks, perhaps months. What effect did the
light have upon them?
4. The author states, “In moments of great danger people become unusually
courageous.” Is this true? Explain your reasons why or why not.
5. Read Psalm 71:1-5
In you, O Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame.
Rescue me and deliver me in your righteousness; turn your ear to
me and save me. Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go;
give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my
fortress. Deliver me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,
from the grasp of evil and cruel men. For you have been my hope,
O Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth.
These verses tell us we can turn to God in our times of need and he is always
there. List at least three different ways that you think God helped David and
Rebecca so they could escape that night.
The Hiding Place Study Guide
© 1992 Progeny Press 41
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6. Why do you think the author says that from the time they joined the partisans
their life became like a tale in a storybook?
7. What helped them forget their suffering?
8. Rebecca said that they never would have survived if it had not been for the
little candle. Why?
Dig Deeper:
1. On a map of Europe and Asia, draw David and Rebecca’s route to Israel.
2. Read the following verses:
In him was life, and that life was the light of men.
John 1:4
I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes
in me should stay in darkness.
The Hiding Place Study Guide
42 © 1992 Progeny Press
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John 12:46
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.
Psalm 119:105
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you:
God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.
1 John 1:5
Have you ever felt in darkness, either physically or emotionally? What do these
verses say about where we can always find light?
The Hiding Place Study Guide
© 1992 Progeny Press 43
No copy of this study guide may be resold.
Suggestions for Further Reading
Other books by Corrie ten Boom:
Father ten Boom, God’s Man
In My Father’s House: The Years Before the Hiding Place
Corrie ten Boom’s Prison Letters
Tramp for the Lord
He Sets the Captives Free
This Day is the Lord’s
Snowflakes in September: Stories about God’s Mysterious Ways
Other Books about World War II:
Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, grades 7 & up, published
by Pocket Books
Twenty and Ten by Claire H. Bishop, grades 3–7, published
by Penguin
When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr, grades 4–8, published by
Dell
Snow Treasure by Marie McSwigan, grades 4–6, published
by Scholastic
Stories for Children a collection of short stories by Isaac
Bashevis Singer, grades 4 & up;
Suggested reading: The Power of Light
The Upstairs Room by Johanna Reiss, grades 7 & up, published
by HarperCollins
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry, grades 4–6
In the Beginning by Chaim Potok, grades 9–12, published by
Fawcett
The Zion Covenant (series of six books) by Bodie Thoene, grades 9–12
The Hiding Place Study Guide
© 1992 Progeny Press 45
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Zoli’s Legacy II: Bequest by Dawn L. Watkins, grades 6 and up,
published by Bob Jones University Press
Alan and Naomi by Myron Levoy, grades 5–7, published by
HarperCollins
Other Interesting books about Jewish history and people:
Tevye The Dairyman by Sholom Aleichem, translated by Hillel
and the Railroad Stories Halkin, grades 9–12
The Chosen by Chaim Potok, grades 9–12
Zoli’s Legacy I: Inheritance by Dawn L. Watkins, grades 6 and up,
published by Bob Jones University Press
Video:
Miracle at Moreaux Based on the book Twenty and Ten by
Claire H. Bishop. Three Jewish children
fleeing Nazi-occupied France are taken in
by a nun and hidden among students at a
Catholic school.
Alan and Naomi 1992, Columbia/Tri-Star Home Video
The Hiding Place 1975, Republic Pictures Home Video
The Hiding Place Study Guide
46 © 1992 Progeny Press
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