Betje Italiaander, the daughter of Abraham Italiaander and Grietje Rood, was the 3rd wife of Israël Hammel, to whom she got married in Amsterdam on 6 June 1928. Betje was born there on 23 August 1894 and her husband on 3 April 1890. On 23 April 1928 Betje was registered at the address of her spouse: Vrolikstraat 85 2nd floor in Amsterdam-East. Her husband, Israël Hammel was dealer in haberdasheries and irregular good, for which he has established already in 1918 a “Naamloze Vennootschap” (a limited liability company), together with Levie de Vries. Since 6 November 1930 the couple Hammel-Italiaander lived in Hilversum, but during the mandatory registration of all Jews in the Netherlands, Betje and her husband Israël were registered at their last address Nieuwe Uilenburgerstraat 4 in Amsterdam-Centre. From there, they both reported early August 1942 in Westerbork for the so-called “Arbeitseinsatz”, the provision of additonal work in Germany, without being called-up for it. On 7 August 1942 they were put on transport to Auschwitz, and after a journey of several days, they arrived there and were put to work in harsh and inhumane conditions.
Not known is where exactly they had to “work”, nor the precise date of their death is known. Therefore, the Dutch Authorities after the war have established, also bases on testiomonies of survivors and research, that Betje Hammel-Italiaander and Israël Hammel no longer could be alive after 30 September 1942. The Municipality of Hilversum then was commissioned to draw up certificates of death for them, in which it is established that they both have died in Auschwitz on 30 September 1942.
Sources include the City Archive of Amsterdam, family registration cards of Betje Italiaander and Israël Hammel; the file cabinet of the Jewish Council, registration cards of Betje Hammel-Italiaander and Israël Hammel; website openarchieven.nl/death of Israël Hammel/Dutch State Gazette- appendix missing persons (Ministry of Justice), ‘s-Gravenhage 27 April 1950, edition 82; certificates of death nr. 666 and 667, made out in the Municipality of Hilversum on 27 July 1950 for resp. Israël Hammel and Betje Hammel-Italiaander.