In Haarlem, 77 years after the end of the Second World War, a start was made on a major stumbling block project. In ten years’ time, all 733 Haarlem Jews who died must be commemorated with such a stone in front of the house where they last lived in freedom. “The story does not end in Auschwitz or Sobibor,” says a grateful relative of the Goud family, for which no fewer than four stones have been laid in the Jansstraat.
In ten years 733 stumbling blocks for murdered Jews in Haarlem – NH Nieuws / Geja Sikma
Eshter de Graaf-Schouten has explained her entire family history at the stones that lie right under the Grote Kerk. Gabriel Goud had a cake and pastry shop here. Together with his wife Bertha, his daughter Truitje Sara and his son David, they are transported from Haarlem station to Westerbork at the end of August 1942. All four of them did not return to Haarlem alive.
Married one day
Son David Goud is still married in Westerbork with his fiancée Friederieke Zilversmit. A stumbling stone was also placed for her on Thursday afternoon at her last home address on Lange Wijngaardstraat. Her father Nathanni and her mother mother Minna were the administrators of the Jewish Center located there.
Shame
Mayor Jos Wienen speaks at this first stone laying and feels ashamed. “Shame about what could happen among us, which we allowed to happen half out of powerlessness and half out of misunderstanding.” He is moved by the story of the engaged couple Friederike and David. “They spent one day there in Westerbork and they got married there. As husband and wife, they were deported to Auschwitz the next day.”
“Perhaps that you try to grab each other at such a moment”, thinks immediate family member Judith Zilversmit of Friederike. “That they had hope,” says bereaved Eshter of David Goud. “And that they thought they had a future and that’s why they did it, I hope.”
All 733 stories of the perished Jewish residents of Haarlem are carefully investigated by Stichting Struikelstenen Haarlem. The intention is to lay 18 stumbling blocks three times a year. That number stands for life in Hebrew.
During this first laying, stumbling stones were also placed for Chief Rabbi Philip Frank and his wife Bertha at the Ripperda Park, for the Calff/Zwartser family at the Kinderhuissingel and for the Jacobs and their youngest son at their home in Pijntorenstraat. NH Nieuws/Haarlem105 made the following report about this:
Stumbling stones for the Jacobs family in Haarlem – NH Nieuws
Stumbling stones in Haarlem
Stumbling stones in Haarlem
Stumbling stones in Haarlem
Stumbling stones in Haarlem
Stumbling stones in Haarlem
Stumbling stones in Haarlem
Stumbling stones in Haarlem
Stumbling stones in Haarlem
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