Biography

About Levie Sajet and his family

Levie Sajet was a son of Benedictus Hirschel Sajet and Sara Polak. His father passed in Amsterdam and was interred in the Jewish Cemetery at Muiderberg on 28 October 1912. His mother too passed away in Amsterdam and was also buried at Muiderberg on 9 December 1932.

Levie Sajet, a religious teacher, married 26 May 1915 in Zaandam to Grietje Weiniger, a daughter of the capmaker Leib Weiniger from Lugowitz (Russia), who was buried at Muiderberg on 25 February 1923, and Gerta Eljer, born in Lithouania; she too was interred on 19 January 1940 at Muiderberg.

Levie Sajet and Grietje Weiniger had three children together, namely Sara and Gerta born in Amsterdam, and Benjamin Hirschel, (also known as Benjamin or Benny) born in Elburg. Only Gerta has survived the Shoah but her sister and brother as well her parents were killed in the Holocaust.

In August 1929, the family of Levie Sajet moved from Emmen to Slotmakerstraat 14 in Leeuwarden. In the synagogue of Leeuwarden Levie held the position of 2nd minister. On 21 November 1939 the family arrived in Gennep, where they resided at Groene Kruisstraat. On 11 November they moved to Koningswinkelstraat 54 in Valkenburg (Limburg) where Levie was appointed per June 1941 as religious teacher in the Israëlitic congregation. On 10 June 1942 they moved to Valkenburg-Houthem, to the Berkelstraat 32 which was their last address before they were deported to Westerbork on 11 November 1942 and killed by the nazis.

Daughter Sara, in Leeuwarden working as office clerk, left in July 1937 Leeuwarden and went to the Hooge Naarderweg 49 in Hilversum. However, she returned after a few months to Leeuwarden but in October 1937 she definitvely moved to Weesperplein 1 in Amsterdam. According data from her registration card of the Jewish Council, she had her diploma’s MULO and shorthand-typist; her previous job was described as “secretary” but on 17 July 1942 she was also registered at the Jewish Council as “unlicenced nurse” based on its certification from the Joodsche Invalide. Sara was “safeguarded for deportation because of function” (“sperre”) but eventually arrived in Camp Westerbork on 18 May 1943, registered to stay in barack 70. However at that same day, 18 May, she was put on transport to Sobibor where she was killed immediately upon arrival there on 21 May 1943.

Since August 1929, daughter Gerta too lived in Leeuwarden, but she moved to Apeldoorn on 3 August 1937. Gerta was a 1st grade nurse and possessed her diploma’s A and B. According het registration card of the Jewish Council, her latest address was Zutphensestraat 106 in Apeldoorn, the address where the Centraal Israelitisch Krankzinnigengesticht “Het Apeldoornse Bos” was located and where she worked as a psychiatric nurse. Daughter Gerta, named after her Lithouanian grandma Gerta Eljer, has survived the Shoah and on her card was listed that she was repatriated at Eindhoven after the war.

After a number of years having resided in Leeuwarden, Levie Sajet, his wife Grietje Weiniger and son Benedictus Hirschel moved to Gennep. After a trial in a service of the Israelitic Congregation at Valkenburg, Levie Sajet was unanimously appointed as religious teacher there on 27 June 1941. At the time the family was registered by the Jewish Council on 19 August 1942, their residence was listed as Berkelstraat 32 in Valkenburg-Houthem. On 11 November 1942 they were brought in Camp Westerbork. Previous attempts to avoid deportation have led to some delay, as was noted on the registration card of Grietje Sajet-Weiniger: “delayed till 1 September” but also a letter from the chief rabbi was without result. In response to this letter, on 14 November 1942, a note was made at the registration card of Levie Sajet: “unfortunately, nothing to be done anymore” On 16 November Levie, Grietje and their son Benedictus Hirschel (Benny) were put on transport to Auschwitz where Levie and Grietje were killed immediately upon arrival there on 19 November 1942.

Their son Benedictus Hirschel was that time nearly 17 years of age and it is not unlikely, that the transport of 16 November 1942 was one of those, which stopped at Cosel (80 km from Auschwitz), where the Germans unloaded boys and men who were suitable to work and do hard labor in the surrounding camps. That so-called Cosel-period was between 28 August and 12 December 1942. Benedictus Hirschel Sajet eventually lost his life somewhere in Mid Europe and his date of death was establisched at 31 March 1944.

Historical Centre Leeuwarden, family registration card of Levie Sajet; City Archive of Amsterdam, archive cards of Sara Sajet, Grietje Weiniger and Sander Weiniger; archive of the peoples registry of Apeldoorn, registration of Gerta Sajet; website www.wiewaswie.nl; website Akevoth/Mokum/Burial permits regarding Leib Weiniger and Gerta Eljer; website https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kozle regarding Cosel; the Regional Historcial Centre Limburg, person card of Levie Sajet re Gennep and Valkenburg and the file cabinet of the Jewish Council, registration cards of Levie Sajet, Grietje Sajet-Weiniger, Benedictus Hirschel Sajet, Gerta Sajet and Sara Sajet.

 

further information about Cosel from Wikipedia:

The period between 28 August till 12 December 1942 was the so called “Cosel-period”, so named because a number of transports with deported Jews, also from Belgium and France, stopped at Cosel, 80 km from Auschwitz. There boys and men were unloaded by the Germans who were fit for work in the surrounding camps. Those, who were not unloaded were sent to Auschwitz.

This period, about 9000 men were taken off the train to Auschwitz by the German Organization Schmelt. They came from France and Belgium and 3500 of them came up with 18 trains from Westerbork. From these 9000 men, who were taken off the train at Cosel, only 700-900 survived the was. From the 3500 Dutch men just 181 survived, of whom 126 from the camp Blechhammer.

The depot at Cosel, the place where selections were carried out, is not really changed. On 2 September 2016 a memorial was revealed there by relatives of victims.

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