Rachel sealtiel was the second child from the second marriage of her father Benjamin Sealtiel to Sophia Booleman. She was born 17 August 1897 in Amsterdam, married there on 4 August 1926 Alexander Appelboom, who was born there on 31 July 1900 as son of Jacob Appelboom and Theodora Poons. Alexander was a pastel-draftsman, frame maker and book binder and Rachel worked as shop lady.
Rachel’s father Benjamin Sealtiel passed away already in 1902 and Rachel was brought in 1903 to the Portuguese Israelitic Girls Orphanage at Nieuwe Prinsengracht 17 – just as her brother Alexander, who was sent in 1902 to the Portuguese Israelitic Boys Orphanage. Rachel stayed there for 12 years and Alexander 10 years, before they could return home, to their mother Sophia Booleman.
A few months after the wedding from Rachel to Alexander Appelboom in August 1926, Sophia Booleman left for Wilrijk in Belgium to attend the wedding of her son Alexander to Margaretha Davids in November 1926. After Rachel and Alexander were wed, they lived at Mauritskade 26, moved in 1932 to Graaf Florisstraat 31, in 1934 to Keizersstraat 133, in March 1937 to Govert Flinckstraat 341 and on 3 August 1938 they moved into a house at Grensstraat 26 2nd floor in Amsterdam-East. They were both arrested during the large scale round-ups and raids in Amsterdam of early October 1942 and ended up in Westerbork between 3 and 5 October.
Alexander Appelboom died In Camp Westerbork on 18 October and has been interred in Assen on 22 October 1942. His widow Rachel Appelboom-Sealtiel was put on transport to Auschwitz on 30 October 1942 and on arrival there on 2 November 1942 she was immediately killed in the gas chambers of Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Sources among others: the City Archive of Amsterdam, family registration cards of Benjamin Sealtiel, Jacob Appelboom and Alexander Appelboom, archive cards of Rachel Sealtiel and Alexander Appelboom; the file cabinet of the Jewish Council, registration cards of Rachel Appelboom-Sealtiel and Alexander Appelboom.