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Johan Benders (1 July 1907 in Bloemendaal – 6 April 1943 in Amsterdam) was a Dutch teacher at the Amsterdams Lyceum, who encouraged his students to manufacture false identification papers and food ration cards for Jews in order to help them escape persecution by the occupying Nazi Germany.[1] His wife, Gerritdina Letteboer, and he sheltered Jews in their home. In 1943, however, they were betrayed by a neighbor and Johan was arrested by Gestapo.[2] In prison, he was tortured. Johan Benders had tried to commit suicide but failed twice. On 6 April he jumped from the third floor of the prison he was held in, to avoid giving information under torture.[3] Johan and Gerritdina took in Rosalie and Katie Wijnberg, Lore Polak, another Jewish girl and Jan Doedens.
On 27 March 1997 Yad Vashem recognized Johan Benders and Gerritdina Letteboer as Righteous Among the Nations.[4]
In Amstelveen, there is a street (Benderslaan) named after him.
References
- ^ Fiore, Michaelle. "Johan Bender". The International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation.
- ^ Yad Vashem, Johan Benders and Gerritdina Benders-Letterboer
- ^ Yad Vashem (2004). The Encyclopedia of the Righteous Among the Nations: The Netherlands, pp.96-97
- ^ Israël eert vijf Nederlanders voor hulp aan Joden, Reformatorisch Dagblad, 11 May 1998
Further reading
- Glossary of Names and Commonly Used Terms from the Holocaust Memorial Center. Retrieved January 30, 2008.
- The Righteous Among the Nations: The Netherlands from Yad Vashem. Retrieved January 30, 2008.
- Johan Benders – his activity to save Jews' lives during the Holocaust, at Yad Vashem website