Blijleven Dirk & Maria (Spek)

Blijleven, Dirk Arie & Maria Johanna (Spek) In December 1944, when Samuel Mozes was forced to leave his hideout, he was referred to Dirk and Johanna Blijleven in Leiderdorp, South Holland. Samuel was welcomed into their home without hesitation, even though living conditions were already very difficult at the beginning of what became known as the hunger winter. Dirk and Johanna had a very modest income. Dirk was working irregularly and Johanna, who was often sick, was at home with their young child. Nevertheless, they shared the little they had with Samuel and made every effort to make his life bearable, despite the circumstances. The Blijlevens were religious Christians and felt it was their duty to help people, even if it meant endangering their own lives. Dirk was much involved in the underground and received some money through them towards Samuel’s upkeep, since he no longer had any of his own to contribute. Before Samuel Mozes arrived at the Blijlevens, they had already hidden several members of the Blik family, a Jewish family from Laren, North Holland. In March 1943, they hid Salomon Blik, a child, and in the same year his parents, Leo and Mop, as well as his aunt and uncle, Henk and Jo. In 1943, they had all been forced to leave when their presence there was no longer considered safe. Samuel stayed with the Blijlevens until the end of the war in May 1945 and never lost contact with his rescuers afterwards. On January 3, 1980, Yad Vashem recognized Dirk Arie Blijleven and his wife, Maria Johanna Blijleven-Spek, as Righteous Among the Nations.