de Meulemeester Madeleine ; Sister: Marcelle

De Meulemeester, Madeleine De Meulemeester, Marcelle De Meulemeester, Georges De Meulemeester- Storms, Betty De Meulemeester, Jean (John) De Meulemeester, Josiane De Meulemeester, Charles In November 1942, Gabriel Zimmerman (b. 1931) was taken from his parents’ home in Brussels by the sisters Madeleine and Marcelle De Meulemeester, to their home in Brussels. After some time they took his brother Edouard (b. 1933) to their brother Georges de Meulemeester and his wife Betty - residing on the family estate Ste.Croix -lez-Brughes in Boitsfort near Brughes. For Gabriel it was the first time he left home and he was heartbroken. The ‘aunts’ let him continue to use his Jewish prayer book to make him feel comfortable, and he never realized that keeping it near his bedside was extremely dangerous. His name was changed to Timmermans, and he was presented as an orphan from the aerial bombardment of Liège/Luik. A governess, who spoke only English, lived in the house as well as a Jewish couple, whose name remained unknown for the sake of security. Gabriel went to school across the street at Collège Saint-Hubert where only the Abbott, Father David, knew that he was Jewish and instructed him as to how to behave without standing out. Vacations were spent at the estate of the De Meulemeester family, in the home of another brother, Charles de Meulemeester, where Gabriel would meet his brother Edouard, not knowing that Edouard was staying with Georges and Betty De Meulemeester at the estate. When Gabriel’s parents, Itzik and Basia Zimmerman, were arrested in May 1944 (the mother remained in prison, whereas the father was deported to Buchenwald where he perished), it was decided for Gabriel’s safety to find another place for him – in Brussels, through the organization Pro Juventute, under the patronage of Baron Louis Empain, where he stayed until the liberation in September 1944. In addition, in April 1943, Marcelle and Madeleine de Meulemeester fetched Jacky Barkan (JacquiBorzykowski), born 1938, whose parents were arrested in Brussels. They took him to yet another brother and his wife, Jean (John) and Josiane de Meulemeester, also living in their own family home on the estate with their two young children. Jacky stayed with them for a year, until he had to move on because of imminent danger. He was taken to the Van Gerwen* family. The various members of the extended De Meulemeester family took care of all the needs of the children, including the hiring of a governess, who taught the children at home. In the winter of 1942-1943, the De Meulemeester sisters also fetched a six- month-old baby by the name of Henri Schlamowitz, whose parents had been arrested, and brought him to a hiding address elsewhere. Gabriel Zimmerman as well as Jacky Barkan testified that the extensive De Meulemeester family took excellent care of them. On November 8, 1999, Yad Vashem recognized Madeleine and Marcelle de Meulemeester as Righteous among the Nations. On September 3, 2001, Yad Vashem recognized Jean (John) de Meulemeester and his wife Betty de Meulemeester- Storms, Georges and Josiane de Meulemeester as well as Charles de Meulemeester as Righteous Among the Nations.