Elisabeth Cohen, the second child of Hartog Cohen and Marianne Sitters, was born on 2 March 1902. She married on 23 July 1934 the widower of Sara Schaap, Nathan Italie, who was born 10 April 1890 in Leeuwarden as son of Enoch Italie and Heintje ‘t Hart. He was director of the Centraal Israëlitisch Wees- en Doorgangshuis – an orphanage in Leiden, which has been established since 1929 in the Roodenburgstraat 1a.
As far as has been researched, no children were born from the first marriage of Nathan Italie and Sara Schaap. From his wedlock with Elisabeth Cohen, two children were born, namely Hanna Sara in 1935 and Elchanan Tsewie in 1937.
Elisabeth’s sister Margaretha, who lived with her husbandd and four children in Amersfoort since September 1940, received this call for the so-called “provision of additional work in Germany” (Arbeitseinsatz) on 13 August 1942. Probably shortly thereafter they have sent their two eldest daughters, Margarita and Marianna, to Leiden, where they were accommodated in the orphanage of their uncle and aunt, Nathan Italie and Elisabeth Cohen.
However, on 17 March the end was there. Police arrived who arrested all inhabitants, children and staff , and all were carried off to Westerbork. There were possiblities to go into hiding but Nathan Italie did not want to take advantage of that. On 19 March they were all locked in in barrack 66 in Westerbork, which was known as a penal barrack. On 23 March they were all put on transport to Sobibor and on arrival there on 26 March 1943 all were immediately killed in the gas chambers there.
Sources among others the Archive Erfgoed Leiden en Omstreken, the file cabinet of the Jewish Council, registration cards of Nathan Italie, Elisabeth Italie-Cohen, Hanna Sara and Elchanan Tsewie Italie, Margarita Henriette Velleman, Marianna Rosa Velleman; Wikipedia website jodentransporten vanuit Nederland.nl; cerfiticate of wedding of Nathan Italie/Elisabeth Cohen 1934 and the website Joods Weeshuis Leiden. (only Dutch language available)