This is just a snapshot of the history of the persecution of Jews in the Netherlands during World War II. It is an article which was published in “Het Joodsche Weekblad” The Jewish Weekly that was set up by the Jewish Council.
The article was published on August 7, 1942.
“The German authorities announce:
All Jews who do not immediately respond to a call addressed to them for expansion of labor in Germany are taken without delay to the Mauthausen concentration camp.
This or any other punishment will not applied to those Jews who, neither afterward, report nor declare that they are willing to participate in the expansion of work before 5 am on Sunday, August 9, 1942, at the latest, or declare that they are prepared to take part in the work allowance.
All Jews who do not wear a Star of David, will be taken to the Mauthusen concentration camp.
All Jews who change their home or place of residence without the permission of the authorities, even if they do so only temporarily, are taken to the Mauthausen concentration camp. “
As I have expressed, this is only a snapshot, but it says so much about the persecution of Dutch Jews. Most of them considered themselves Dutch before Jewish.
500 Jews respond to the German appeal and register for departure to camp Westerbork. They wait for hours for the special train that will transport them from Muiderpoort Station, Amsterdam, to Westerbork.
Of the 7,000 Jews who had to report to the Polderweg in Amsterdam that day for deportation to Westerbork, only 500 appeared that day, much to the irritation of the Germans.
Because most of the 7,000 Jews did not heed the call, a raid follows the next day. The Jewish quarter in the centre is being cordoned off and homes are searched for those who ignored the call.
A month later, the Jewish quarter in the centre was evacuated and the Jews were forced to move to Amsterdam-East and South. Another major raid follows on June 20, 1943, this time completely secretly prepared. The Jews are startled by the noise of loudspeaker cars. They must gather at Daniel Willinkplein, Sarphatipark or Olympiaplein.
5542 Jews are registered by the employees of the camp administration who came especially from Camp Westerbork. Then they take the tram to the Muiderpoort station. They are also forced to board the train to Camp Westerbork and in the following weeks, they are deported from Westerbork to the extermination camps.
The normality of the picture above makes it quite disturbing. On Sunday morning, June 20, 1943, the Nazis s held large raids in Amsterdam East and South. Early in the morning, hundreds of Nazi policemen, members of the Voluntary Relief Police and a few dozen men from the Jewish Ordedienst(order service) from Westerbork assisted in the raid. Jews were ordered to gather, pack and bag in nearby places. This photo was taken secretly from a house in the Uiterwaardenstraat. Two empty cups of tea stand on the windowsill. In front of the door on the corner of Lekstraat and Kinderdijkstraat, Jews are gathered with their luggage. Two neighbours across the street hang out of the window to watch the events as well.
After this raid, almost all Jews from Amsterdam disappeared. Only the members of the Jewish Council and their families are still in the city. But not for long. During the raid on September 29, 1943, they too were arrested and taken to Camp Westerbork together with the last remaining Jews. The Germans declare Amsterdam ‘Jew-free’.
Deportation of Jews by train from Muiderpoort station in Amsterdam. A German soldier with a rifle checks that everything is in ‘order’. Netherlands, summer 1943.
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When you look at the picture above you can see a few boys having fun. You could ask yourself” Who are these boys?” or “What game are they playing?!
I don’t know who these boys are. I do know though that they were cared for by the BjZ or Buitenschoolse Jeugdzorg, which was a part of the Jewish council in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The Buitenschoolse Jeugdzorg cared for Jewish children after school, The activities would include arts and crafts, music,dancing and sports and a few other activities.
The Jewish council was set up after some fights provoked by Dutch nazis broke out beween the Nazis and Jewish men in late January 1941. Hans Böhmcker who was an assistant to the Reich Commissioner for the Netherlands Arthur Seyß-Inquart. ordered the Jewish council to be set up and he made the council responsible to maintain peace and order in the Jewish quarter, which really was a ghetto, which had been established shortly after the skirmishes.
The BjZ gave the children some reprieve of their daily life during the German occupation.
It appears to me that the boys are playing football(soccer). There is another question which needs to be asked which is “How many survived?” Given the fact that about 75% of all Jews in the Netherlands were murdered by the Nazi regime there is a good chance that only 2 boys would have survived, if any.
Aside from the obvious horrors of the Holocaust, in ths case who knows what the world was deprived off. Who knows , maybe one or mor of these boys could have become footballing geniusese like Pele. Johan Cruijff or Maradona.
The more I write about the Holocaust the more I realize the ripple effect it had on the world’s history and future.
For all we know the scientist who potentially could have foreseen the Covid 19 virus was amongst the victims of the Holocaust. So much future damage was caused by the Holocaust which of course is impossible to quantify, but yet it is something we should never dismiss.
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I am passionate about my site and I know a you all like reading my blogs. I have been doing this at no cost and will continue to do so. All I ask is for a voluntary donation of $2 ,however if you are not in a position to do so I can fully understand, maybe next time then. Thanks
To donate click on the credit/debit card icon of the card you will use. If you want to donate more then $2 just add a higher number in the box left from the paypal link. Many thanks
I have to be honest and admit that I am not entirely sure if the title is entirely correct, I am working on presumptions. However they are well founded presumptions.
More then 75% of all Dutch Jews were murdered during the Holocaust it is therefore safe to presume that the at least 75% of these children were murdered too.
I also believe that the picture below is from the same school or after school youth care organisation in Amsterdam which was organised by the Jewish Council.
The things I am certain about is that at least 2 survived one of them is Fred Lessing(below an interview with Fred from January 26,1993)
The other survivor is an unknown visitor to the NIOD Image bank website he said this about the below picture
“‘I am in this picture, sitting in the middle (round shirt collar). Born October 26, 1935. Am sitting next to Fred Lessing .'”
Just look at all those angelic faces and think of the fact that most of them were murdered for no other reason then hate.
Donation
I am passionate about my site and I know you all like reading my blogs. I have been doing this at no cost and will continue to do so. All I ask is for a voluntary donation of $2, however if you are not in a position to do so I can fully understand, maybe next time then. Thank you.
To donate click on the credit/debit card icon of the card you will use. If you want to donate more then $2 just add a higher number in the box left from the PayPal link. Many thanks.
History of Sorts 
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