Biography

About Betje Cohen-van Gelder

Betje van Gelder, shorthand typist, a daughter of Salomon van Gelder and Fijtje Fruiman, married Mozes Cohen in den Haag on 5 September 1930, a son of Lazarus Cohen and Vogeltje Muller. They had three children, namely Louis (mostly known as Loetje), Hans and Maurits, all born in Rotterdam. On 22 April 1936 the marriage has been dissolved and in 1939 the children were placed in de Berg Stichting at Laren. When the Berg Stichting was abolished by order of the Germans, the children and staff moved to Rapenburg 92-96 in Amsterdam, where the Salvation Army as owners has made their buildings available for them.

After the divorce, Betje van Gelder and Mozes Cohen lived each at another address in Den Haag. Betje resided at Fahrenheitstraat 753, from where she has been sent to Camp Westerbork in November 1942. After registration there, she stayed in barack 62 untill she was deported to Sobibor on 4 May 1943, where she has been killed immediately upon arrival there on 7 May 1943.

Her ex-husband  Mozes Cohen was killed in Auschwitz on 22 October 1942; both her sons were killed in Auschwitz too: Hans on 19 November 1943 and Louis on 19 January 1944. Only Maurits survived the Shoah.

City Archive of Rotterdam, family registration card of Mozes Cohen; Municipal Archive of Den Haag, family registration card of Mozes Cohen; the file cabinet of the Jewish Council , registration cards of Betje van Gelder, Mozes Cohen and Hans and Louis Cohen; website http://www.joodsamsterdam.nl/rapenburg-92-96-bergstichting/ and an addition of a visitor of the website