Life After The Netherlands Surrendered to the Germans

The first couple of weeks into the German invasion, nothing noticeably changed. Although they knew of the social and economic hardships in Nazi Germany, Dutch Jews were still convinced that such things could never happen in Holland. But, things started changing slowly. Small groups of national socialists, mostly uneducated and unemployed thugs, started harassing Jews in movie theaters, stores, and restaurants.

If someone looked Jewish, they walked up to them, picked a fight, and beat them to a pulp. Police officers turned a blind eye. First, Jews were expelled from the Civil Defense Force (CDF). One of the responsibilities of the CDF was to make sure that curtains were properly closed to prevent enemy aircraft from finding their way. Showing light earned a steep fine. The next directive ordered Jewish butchers to close down.

For her eighteenth birthday, Sonja’s parents gave her a typewriter. She was a good typist and took good shorthand. Her dad’s business had grown. She was proud to help any way she could. She was close to both her parents, but her father was her absolute hero. Ninotchka starring Greta Garbo and First Love starring Dianne Durbin played in the theaters. It had become a tradition on Wednesdays, for her mom, Jet Cohen, to take Sonja and her sister to the movies. The last movie they saw together was The Great Waltz, with Milizia Korjus. A week later, it had become illegal, according to the signs posted outside the theaters: No Jews Allowed.

Reflecting on History

"No Jews Allowed"

Public places became off limits. Signs appeared in windows of hotels, cafés, restaurants, swimming pools, museums, libraries, parks, markets, anywhere public. Most of them still believed that if it wouldn’t get any worse, they’d be able to handle it. After Jewish Councils proved an efficient strategy in Poland, Germany, Austria, and Czechoslovakia, the Nazis established the Jewish Council (JC) in Holland. The JC were puppets or errand boys doing the Nazis’ dirty work, such as registering the Jewish population throughout the country. They cooperated, hoping to save lives. Besides, if they refused, they were deportation. The JC’s first task was to keep the Jews advised of the ever-increasing deluge of new directives. They were responsible for ensuring that the new rules that were published in the Jewish Weekly. The Nazi government knew that people who had an exemption stamp felt safe and wouldn’t hide. They let the JC issue exemption stamps to all their employees, in fact the JC issued as many stamps to as many people as it possible could justify. Family and friends, friends of friends, they were all issued stamps, supposedly working for the JC. Overall, the JC “employed” thousands of people. A stamp meant you were needed and that would postpone your deportation to Poland.

A new law was published ordering Jews to declare their assets. Soon after, their accounts were frozen and everybody Jewish was choked financially. The JC received small amounts of money to be distributed amongst the members of their community. It was a shrewd application of the carrots and sticks tactic. Just as they felt hopeless, they received a check.

In the summer of 1942, the JC was ordered to draw up a list of persons who were to be sent “to work in the East.” Following an intense internal debate, the council agreed to provide the Germans with 7,000 names. For this action and for other instances of compliance with German orders, the JC in Holland was severely criticized after the war was over 1945.