Weimpje Maria Francina Blokhuis
| Geslacht: | Vrouw | |
| Vader: | Jacob Blokhuis | |
| Moeder: | Adriana Johanna Smit | |
| Geboren: | 28 Jan 1934 | |
| Aantekeningen: | Smit Weimpje (1934 - ? ) Personal Information Last Name: Smit First Name: Weimpje Maria Francina Maiden Name: Blokhuis Date of Birth: 28/01/1934 Rescuer's fate: survived Nationality: THE NETHERLANDS Religion: CALVINIST Gender: Female Place during the war: Oosterbeek, Gelderland, The Netherlands Spakenburg, Utrecht, The Netherlands Rescue Place: Oosterbeek, Gelderland, The Netherlands Spakenburg, Utrecht, The Netherlands Rescue mode: Hiding File number: File from the Collection of the Righteous Among the Nations Department (M.31.2/3493) Commemoration Date of Recognition: 25/09/1986 Righteous Commemorated with Tree/Wall of Honor: Wall of Honor Ceremony organized by Israeli diplomatic delegation in: The Hague, Netherlands Rescued Persons Goudsmit, Max Rescue Story Blokhuis, Jacob & Adriana Johanna (Smit) & Lambert Willem Gijsbert & Jacobus Frederik & Hendrik Pieter Smit Weimpje Maria Francina (Blokhuis) In 1942, members of the Resistance escorted four-year-old Max Goudsmit from Amsterdam to Oosterbeek, Gelderland. Max's father, Samuel, had already been deported and his mother had decided to send him into hiding. In Oosterbeek, Max found refuge with Jacob and Adriana Blokhuis and their four children, Lambert, Jacobus, Hendrik, and Weimpje (later Smit). They had previously contacted the Resistance and offered to shelter a Jewish child. Earlier on in the war, before Max arrived, a Jewish girl had been living with them, but she had since gone into hiding on a remote farm. Jacob was a teacher at the Reformed School in Oosterbeek. His family was Christian Reformed and considered it their religious duty to save a Jewish child. Jacob had reported the loss of his food ration card and was thus able to get a new one. Max adopted the identity of Pieter Smit from the Dutch Indies. This story was corroborated by his dark complexion. He lived with his foster family through the Battle of Arnhem, when the fighting literally extended right into their front yard, often causing the Blokhuis family to take cover in the air raid shelter. When the family was evacuated to Spakenburg, Utrecht, Max accompanied them. After the war, he returned with them to Oosterbeek, to a new house, because their home had been partly destroyed. Max soon learnt that his parents had perished in Auschwitz. In 1945, a Jewish organization was appointed as his guardian. When the organization attempted to move Max into a Jewish foster home, the Blokhuises kept him in hiding. In 1947, Max's uncle, Mr. Winnink, who had been married to Max's aunt, Eva Goudsmit, was named his guardian. Max then went to live with him and his second wife in Amsterdam. Despite everything Max had been through, in his testimony to Yad Vashem he wrote that he had very good memories of his youth spent with the Blokhuis family. In response to this comment, Lambert Blokhuis said that this was exactly what his family had wanted. On September 25, 1986, Yad Vashem recognized Jacob Blokhuis, his wife, Adriana Johanna Blokhuis-Smit, and their children, Lambert Willem Gijsbert, Jacobus Frederik, Hendrik Pieter Blokhuis, and Weimpje Maria Francina Smit-Blokhuis, as Righteous Among the Nations. |
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