Leenders, Jean
Leenders, Marie (née Demoor)
Leon Herszlikovicz and his wife Serla (née Kleinberg) had emigrated from Poland to Belgium and settled in Liège. When the war broke out they were living there with their son David and daughter Esther, and as the German persecutions of the Jews began, in July of 1942, the family decided to go into hiding. Through Leon's connections he managed to arrange shelter for his family with Jean and Marie Leenders; he himself went into hospital to have an operation, and thus evaded deportation for the time being. Serla, who was already assigned to factory work in Herstal (a suburb of Liège), was welcomed by the Leenders, along with 9-year-old David and 4-year-old Esther. Leon joined them upon his release from the hospital.
Jean and Marie Leenders were living in Robermont, outside of Liège, with their 16-year-old son Marcel. Many years later, David would write in his book Meticulous Records: "They did everything possible to make us comfortable. It was not easy for them to hide four people in their home…". They did not remain four for long. On September 24th Leon came out of hiding in order to attend a meeting with other Jews to discuss ways of resistance. He was arrested on the street and later deported to Auschwitz, where he perished on September 28th.
Jean made arrangements for Serla to go live in a priest's house as a maid. He contacted the Van den Berg rescue network, which put him in touch with Monseigneur Kerkhofs (recognized as Righteous among the Nations in 1981). Jean took young David with him to see the Bishop, who suggested that David be sent to the village of Stoumont, in the Ardennes. In early October Jean took David to Stoumont, where he was welcomed by the director of the institution, Father Marcel Stenne (recognized as Righteous among the Nations in 1988).
For the next two years, little Esther stayed with Jean and Marie. Years later, when David managed to contact their grandson Jean-Louis, the lattertold him: "I know how much Esther loved my grandparents, whom she called Uncle and Aunt, and I myself have always considered her my cousin".
After liberation the remaining members of the Herszlikovicz family reunited. They kept in touch with their rescuers, the Leenders, until both Jean and Marie passed away, on the same day, in 1968.
On 29 February 2012, Yad Vashem recognized Jean and Marie Leenders as Righteous among the Nations.