July 21, 2025 was my 30th wedding anniversary. I still vividly remember my wedding day. It was the hottest day of the 20th century, at least in the town of Geleen, the Netherlands, where I got married. It was 42 degrees Celsius. Despite the heat, it was a beautiful day because both my family and my wife’s family were there to celebrate the day with us.
I have often thought about how the day would have been without family.
The photograph at the top of this post is the wedding photo of two Jewish survivors: Isidor Sassen from Sittard and Rosalie Wijnbergen from Eindhoven. Isidor was the only Sittard Jew to return from Auschwitz, and Rosalie had gone into hiding with the Reformed Blok family in Heerlen. The Nazis murdered both of their families. They were married in the garden of the Blok family in Heerlen and were penniless. They were without a home, money, or family. Heerlen is only 15 km from Geleen, and Sittard is even nearer.
So many were married without their family or friends being present for the joyous occasion. The Nazis had denied the families their presence.
(updated July 21 2024)
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