Jonas Elekan, son of Simon Elekan and Klara Finsij, was born in Amsterdam on 18 April 1897. He had a younger brother Aron, who was born on 28 May 1898. He lived with his parents and brother at Weesperstraat 4 2nd floor but early July 1897, Jonas’ parents and their two children left for Antwerp, where father Simon got employed as a diamond worker. There, they lived in the Nottebohmstraat 23 till 1911, moved then to the Zurnborschebeekstraat in Berchem, from where they returned in Amsterdam in January 1915.
At the age of 24 – still unmarried – Jonas left for Antwerp again where he stayed for a few months. His official address was Ruyschstraat 74 in Amsterdam, where also his brother and parents lived but in Antwerp he stayed at Hoveniersstraat 40. His father, Simon Elekan arrived also in Belgium again in June 1922 and lived there in the Schelpstraat 2. His mother, Klara Finsij his brother Aron and Jonas himself then stayed in Amsterdam.
Jonas Elekan married in Amsterdam Esther de Bruin on 1 August 1928, who was born in Utrecht on 21 March 1903 as a daughter of Hertog de Bruin and Marianne van der Kop. They went living at Alexanderstraat 9 in Amsterdam-East, located near the Muider gate. Jonas and Esther had one son together: Simon, who was born there on 3 May 1930.
In May 1937 the family moved to Nieuwe Achtergracht 53 and one month later, on 11 June 1937 they moved to Cilliersstraat 15 1st floor. There they have been arrested and put on transport on 4 August 1942 from the Amsterdam Central Station to Hooghalen. The last ±5 km from Hooghalen Station to Westerbork camp to be walked.
The transports of 4 August 1942 to Hooghalen/Westerbork departed from different railway stations in the Netherlands and some of the arrested persons were carried off as “penal cases” in a so-called “penal-transport to Westerbork. But present documents show that Jonas Elekan, Esther Elekan-de Bruin and their son Simon were no “penal cases”.
However, already shortly after arrival in Westerbork, on 7 August 1942, Jonas, Esther and son Simon were put on transport to Auschwitz. After arrival there, Esther Elekan-de Bruin and her 12-year old son were immediately murdered in the gas chambers of Auschwitz-Birkenau on 9 August 1942.
On the other hand, Jonas was selected as forced labourer and put to work. Not known is where, but known is from the so-called “Sterbebücher” from Auschwitz (death records) that Jonas Elekan already two weeks later, on 22 August 1942 in Auschwitz has been murdered.
After war’s end, this was all unknown. After research of the Dutch Red Cross, as well from testimonies from survivors could be established that Jonas Elekan no longer could be alive after 30 September 1942. Therefore the Dutch Authorities have commissoned the City of Amsterdam to draw up a certificate of death for Jonas Elekan, in which is established that he has died on 30 September 1942 (at the max) in Auschwitz.
Sources include the City Archive of Amsterdam, family registration cards of Simon Elekan and Jonas Elekan, archive cards of Jonas Elekan and Esther de Bruin; Residence card of Nieuwe Achtergracht 53 Amsterdam; the Dossier of Foreigners of the City of Antwerp, no. 122192 for Jonas Elekan and for Simon Elekan (1866) dossier 10566 from Berchem; the file cabinet of the Jewish Council, registration cards of Jonas Elekan, Esther Elekan-de Bruin and of Simon Elekan (1930); the Archive of the Red Cross, transports to Westerbork-transpor list Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Hooghalen dated 4 August 1942/item 233 list 15; website Museum and Memorial Auschwitz Birkenau/Auschwitz Prisoners/Jonas Elekan/Sterbebücher and the official Dutch certificate of death for Jonas Elekan, nr. 456 dated 27 July 1950 from the A-register 43-folio 78, made out by the City of Amsterdam.