Poons Maria (Moll)

Poons, Maria (Moll) During the war, Maria Poons-Moll and her Jewish husband, Maurits Poons, were living in Amsterdam with their two young children. Both were deeply involved in the local underground. Their home served as a refuge for Jews on their way to a safer shelter. Maria Poons was also involved in distributing illegal newspapers. In April 1945, the Poonses were approached with a request to hide a Jewish family who had had to leave their former hiding place because they were in danger. Without hesitating, Maria and Maurits Poons agreed to take in Gerard Polak, a lawyer, his wife, Han Polak (Spijer), and their eight-month-old daughter, Els. They put them up in the apartment of their next-door neighbors, Dutch Nazis who had fled in September 1944 fearing the imminent liberation of the Netherlands. The Poonses took good care of the Polaks, who stayed with them for three weeks, until the liberation on May 5, 1945. On October 26, 1981, Yad Vashem recognized Maria Poons-Moll as Righteous Among the Nations.