Nabben Leonardus & Maria (Vermeulen)

Nabben, Leonardus Jacobis Nabben, Maria Gertrudis (Vermeulen) The Nabben family—Leonardus Jacobis (called Lei, b. 1901), Maria Gertrudis (called Trui, b. 1910), and their four sons, all between 7 and 10 years old—lived in the hilly Dutch province of Limburg, in the village of Swolgen. Lei worked for several farmers in the neighborhood. They were a simple, happy family with just one wish: to have a baby girl. The village’s midwife knew about their desire for a daughter and promised them that if she ever saw an unwanted girl, she would bring her to the Nabbens. The Nabben family did not know that this midwife was active in a resistance organization and looking for hiding places for Jewish children. On December 5, 1942, the Dutch holiday of Sint Nicolaas, when the saint brings sweets and presents to children who behave well during the previous year, a 2.5-year-old girl was brought to the Nabben family. They were devout Catholics and saw in the little girl the answer to their prayers. They did not know that the girl’s name was Mirjam Dasberg and that her father was a well-known rabbi in the Jewish community. Mirjam was called Marietje and was welcomed with lots of warmth and happiness into the Nabben family. A few days later the midwife told them that the child was Jewish. This was a little blow to the family, but they nevertheless continued caring for Mirjam, whose easy disposition changed family life immediately. When the midwife saw how happily the family responded to the arrival of the Jewish girl, she dared to ask them to hide another Jewish child. This time it was a baby boy who was just a couple of months old. His name was Herman David Santcroos. He was welcomed into the family with love as well. After some months, however, he became ill with diphtheria, and although the Nabbens did everything possible to save his life, he died and was buried in the village’s cemetery. After the baby died, a 10-year-old boy arrived. His name was Isaac Levi Creveld. He fit into the family perfectly: he was about the same age as the Nabbens boys and even went to school with them. Because of his very Jewish looks, nobody dared to hide him, but the Nabbens sheltered him anyway. They told neighbors that the children that joined their family were their childrens’ cousins, who had to stay with them for a while. During November 1943 there were many searches and razzias (roundups of Jews) by the Germans, so Mirjam and Isaac spent a lot of time in the forests around the village, together with one of the Nabben children. At night they slept in the hen house. The last child to arrive at the Nabbens’ home was a traumatized Jewish boy, Jacob Grootkerk, who suffered from scabies and was intellectually disabled. This boy was also treated with love and care. In November 1944 the southern Netherlands was liberated. Jacob’s and Isaac’s parents had been in hiding in the southern Netherlands as well, so they came to fetch their children. The Nabbens always remained in close contact with Isaac. When the rest of the Netherlands was liberated as well, in May 1945, Mirjam was also taken home by her parents. She did not know them anymore, and the separation from the Nabbens was very hard because they were the only parents she knew. Mirjam and her parents also maintained a warm relationship with the Nabbens, even after the Dasbergs went to Israel in 1948 with about 30 war orphans. Mirjam visited the Nabben children in the Netherlands twice. On July 2, 2013, Yad Vashem recognized Leonardus Jacobis and Maria Gertrudis (Vermeulen) Nabben as Righteous Among the Nations.