Grebber de Elisabeth

Roelofs, Johannes Christiaan Bernardus Roelofs, Cornelia Hendrica (Preller) Grebber de, Elisabeth Nina (b. 1938) and Valentina (b. 1940) Kaplan’s parents were refugees from Russia and therefore stateless Jews. The family lived in Hilversum, in the Netherlands. First the Dutch Jews were deported by the Germans; only after that were the stateless Jews also deported. The Kaplans continued living in Hilversum, until one day in July 1943 the family was warned by a local police officer that the Germans intended to deport the family within two days. Small suitcases were immediately packed, and the Kaplan couple contacted friends, who promised to take the two little sisters into hiding. They could not wait any longer, and even though Valentina was sick at that time, she also made the dangerous trip by train to Limburg, accompanied by their parents’ friends. At first the girls were able to stay together at the home of the parents of the couple who had accompanied them, but then they were separated. Nina, the eldest, was taken to the village of Bunde, a village in the southern Netherlands. A big house, called “Saint Anthonius Hoeve” stood on a hill there. It was owned and run by Elisabeth de Grebber, who was called “Ma de Grebber” (Mom de Grebber) by the many girls she took care of. Though these were Hungarian girls—children of unwed mothers—Ma de Grebber did not hesitate to welcome Nina, as well as another Jewish girl, Elly Sarlouis. In the beginning staying in Ma de Grebber’s house was very hard for Nina. She missed her parents, felt alone, and often cried herself to sleep. Ma de Grebber would sit next to her for hours, trying to comfort her and holding her hand. Slowly Nina got used to life in the Saint Anthonius Hoeve. Ma de Grebber was very strict and pious but loved her girls and treated them with care. The older girls would take care of the younger ones. Soon Nina went to a school run by Belgian nuns. Here she was called “Maria Westerveld.” Nina had to take part in all the Catholic prayers and rituals. After a while she felt at home in her new home and grew to love Ma de Grebber dearly. One day in autumn 1945 a surprise waited for Nina: her father had arrived to take her home! He had just returned from a camp in Germany. Later her mother also came back, and the family was reunited. It took some time before they were organized again, after all the hard experiences that each of the family members had endured. Little Valentina had also survived the war. After she was separated from her older sister, she was brought to the Roelofs family in Heerlen. Valentina had a wonderful time and felt like part of the family, which consisted of Johannes, Cornelia (née Preller), grandfather Jan Roelofs and six children: Pim, Jan, Annie, Syb, Simon, and Jacques. Valentina played with the little children and liked to spend time with the grandfather. Fortunately, the family had a vegetable garden and chickens, so they were not hungry. After the war Valentina continued to stay with the Roelofs until her father came to fetch her. Valentina did not remember him, and it was very hard for her to leave the Roelofs. She remained in contact with them even after the war, and when they passed away, she remained friendly with the children. The Kaplans also became very friendly with Ma de Grebber. They always remained grateful for everything those brave people had done for Nina and Valentina, risking their own lives while saving two little Jewish girls. On December 2, 2014, Yad Vashem recognized Johannes Christiaan Bernardus and Cornelia Hendrica (Preller) Roelofs and Elisabeth de Grebber as Righteous Among the Nations.