Jongsma Eise

Jongsma, Eise Doctor Eise Jongsma was the physician of the Siegel family, which fled Nazi Germany and settled in Oosterbeek, Gelderland, in 1933. In 1936, the family moved to nearby Arnhem. Soon after the start of the occupation and the Nazi decree that Dutch physicians were prohibited from treating Jewish patients, Eise still willingly made the six kilometer journey to Arnhem to treat the Siegel family whenever necessary. On October 3, 1942, after the massive raids on the Jews of Arnhem, the two Siegel daughters, Ruth and Margot, went into hiding. Their parents, Salomon and Emily Siegel, had no where to go. Emily fell grievously ill and Eise, who came to see her, decided to find a shelter for her. Eise continued on his rounds visiting patients, starting with the ladies Sophie Moolenaar* and Marigje van Winkelhof*. He told them the story of the Siegel family and the two ladies immediately offered to shelter the Siegel couple in their home. In the meantime Eise took the Siegels to his own home. After a few days, Eise took the Jewish couple to the home of Sophie and Marigje in Wolfheze, Gelderland. While they were there, he frequently visited them and took care of their needs. Eise also visited Ruth and Margot in Otterlo. At some point during the war, Eise spent time in a concentration camp for refusing to sign a declaration of loyalty to the Nazi regime, but he returned home unharmed. This did not deter him from his courageous deeds. The Siegels stayed in Wolfheze until the Battle of Arnhem in September 1944, when all the inhabitants of the region were evacuated. During the height of the fighting, Eise traveled through the lines to check on the Siegels because Wolfheze had been heavily bombarded. The Siegels were then moved to Otterlo, where they stayed with their daughters at the van der Iests. During the war, Eise also took care of some wounded British soldiers on the battlefield and for this he was later awarded the Order of the British Empire. On November14, 1994, Yad Vashem recognized Eise Jongsma as Righteous Among the Nations.