Abraham Dingsdag was the second child of Levie Dingsdag and Mietje Theeboom. He was born in Amsterdam on 9 February 1897. The first born in the Levie Dingsdag family was Mozes, born on 19 March 1896 but he died already 3 April 1896, just two weeks old.
Levie and Mietje's family expanded continually; in the years that followed, Abraham had ten more siblings, of which one child - again called Moses - died almost two months after his birth in 1899 and of which their child Joseph survived the Holocaust. Everyone else, including Abraham himself, and their families were murdered during the Shoah.
According to his registration with the National Militia in 1916, Abraham was given a one-year extension until 1917 because he was the breadwinner. His profession was stated as “military tailor”. In April 1917 he was approved for the militia - although his hearing was not 100% - and he was deemed fit for the "Jagers"; he asked for and received placement with the Field Artillery in Amsterdam. He left the service on 20 March 1919, having received the exemption which took effect on 2 June 1919.
On 27 October 1920 he married in Utrecht Aaltje de Beer, a daughter of Daniel de Beer and Ganna Salomons; she was born in Sappemeer on 7 May 1897. Together they had three children, namely Levie in 1921, Daniel in 1922 and Salomon Alexander in 1926. Abraham also changed profession; he stopped working as a tailor and became a poulterer.
With his wife Aaltje, he lived in with Gosselaar at the Korte Dijkstraat 24, but at the end of November 1921, they moved to Rechtboomsloot 95. In September 1926 they moved into a house at Grote Kattenburgerstraat 10 1st floor and up from 1927 they resided at various addresses in the new built neighbourhoods of Amsterdam-East. On 14 November 1938 they ended up in the Retiefstraat 99 2nd floor, which would become also their last known address in Holland.
Apparently, the children Levie and Salomon Alexander responded to the call for the so-called “Arbeitseinsatz” on 16 July 1942 and on 17 July they were registered in Westerbork. On 21 July 1942 they were deported to Auschwitz where on arrival there on 23/24 July they were put to work as forced labourers. After about 5½ week, on 1 September 1942, the 16-year old Salomon Alexander was murdered. The “Sterbebücher” (death records) of Auschwitz do show the date of the fate of Salomon Alexander, but not of his 21-year old brother Levie. However, after the war the Municipality of Amsterdam drew up an official death certificate for both, with the date and place of death being: 30 September 1942 in Auschwitz.
Abraham Dingsdag self, his wife Aaltje and their 20-year old son Daniel were arrested early February 1943 and as prisoners carried off to concentration camp Vught. They stayed there till they were transported to Westerbork on 31 March 1942, where they ended up in barrack 57. On 6 April deportation to Sobibor followed and upon arrival there on 9 April 1943, Abraham Dingsdag, his wife Aaltje Dingsdag-de Beer and their son Daniel Dingsdag were immediately murdered in the gas chambers.
Sources include the City Archive of Amsterdam, family registration cards of Levie Dingsdag and Abraham Dingsdag, archive cards of Abraham Dingsdag, Aaltje de Beer and of Levie, Daniel and Salomon Alexander Dingsdag; registration Amsterdam for the National Militia of Abraham Dingsdag; the file cabinet of the Jewish Council, registration cards of Abraham Dingsdag, Aaltje de Beer and of Levie, Daniel and Salomon Alexander Dingsdag and the wikipedia website jodentransporten vanuit Nederland.nl.