Zwaantje Kooistra

Geslacht: Vrouw
Vader: Fokke Annes Kooistra
Moeder: Elisabeth Gerrits Visbeek
Geboren: 8 MEI 1890 Hallum, gemeente Ferwerderadeel
Overleden: 12 Juli 1971
Religie: Chr. Ger.
Aantekeningen: Boersma Zwaantje (1890 - 1971 )
Personal Information
Last Name: Boersma
First Name: Zwaantje
Maiden Name: Kooistra
Date of Birth: 08/05/1890
Date of death: 12/07/1971
Rescuer's fate: survived
Nationality: THE NETHERLANDS
Gender: Female
Place during the war: Foudgum, Friesland, The Netherlands
Rescue Place: Foudgum, Friesland, The Netherlands
Rescue mode: Hiding
File number: File from the Collection of the Righteous Among the Nations Department (M.31.2/3435)
Commemoration
Date of Recognition: 11/09/1986
Righteous Commemorated with Tree/Wall of Honor: Tree
Ceremony organized by Israeli diplomatic delegation in: The Hague, Netherlands
Ceremony held in Yad Vashem: Yes
Rescued Persons
Windmuller, Thea
Mainzer, Helene
Rescue Story
Boersma, Hendrik & Zwaantje (Kooistra) & Dirk & Jan
In April 1943 the Germans ordered 18-year-old Helene Mainzer to report for deportation to a so-called labor camp. Through contacts with an underground group, Helene and her friend Mirjam Cohen (later Seligman) were taken to a temporary address in the city until Helene was relocated to the home of the Boersma family in the village of Foudgum, Friesland. Hendrik and Zwaantje Boersma did not tell anybody that she was hidden in their home, fearing that her dark complexion would give her away as a Jew. Helene was given a room in the attic where she stayed for her entire period in hiding. A special hiding place was constructed inside a closet where she hid whenever anyone visited the house. The Boersmas took care of all of Helene’s needs and tried to make her living conditions as decent as possible. Besides Helene, Hendrik and Zwaantje also hid Thea Windmuller until, against her hosts’ better judgement, she insisted on joining her boyfriend, who was hiding in Amsterdam. Some time later Hendrik and Zwaantje heard that Thea had been arrested and assumed (rightly) that she had been deported too. Since Thea had kept a diary of her time in hiding that mentioned the Boersmas and Helene, Helene was forced to leave her shelter and moved to another village in Friesland. The Boersma family---Hendrik, Zwaantje, and their two sons, Dirk and Jan---were all involved in the decision to give refuge to the two Jewish women, even though they were all fully aware of the risks involved. After the war, Helene immigrated to Israel but maintained contact with her wartime rescuers.
On September 11, 1986, Yad Vashem recognized Hendrik Boersma and his wife, Zwaantje Boersma-Kooistra, and their sons, Dirk and Jan, as Righteous Among the Nations.

Gezin 1

Huwelijkspartner: Hendrik Boersma geb. 18 Apr 1892 overl. 27 OKT 1980
Huwelijk: 15 MEI 1919 Westdongeradeel
Kinderen:
  Jan Boersma Female
  Dirk Boersma Female geb. 1926