Theunis Boonstra

Geslacht:	Man
Vader:	Johannes Boonstra
Moeder:	Aaltje Herder
Geboren:	25 MRT 1909	Duurswoude, Opsterland
Overleden:	29 Aug 1985	onbekend
Aantekeningen:	Boonstra Theunis (1909 - 1985 ) Personal Information Last Name: Boonstra First Name: Theunis Date of Birth: 25/03/1909 Date of death: 29/08/1985 Rescuer's fate: survived Nationality: THE NETHERLANDS Gender: Male Profession: FARMER Place during the war: Donkerbroek, Friesland, The Netherlands Rescue Place: Donkerbroek, Friesland, The Netherlands Rescue mode: Hiding Arranging shelter Other File number: File from the Collection of the Righteous Among the Nations Department (M.31.2/3457) Commemoration Date of Recognition: 07/07/1986 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 Israels, Trudi Israels, Salomon Israels, Maurits Israels, Beer de, Marta Grunwald, Beer de, Sophia Rescue Story Boonstra, Theunis & Hiske (van der Ley) In 1942, Salomon Israels, his wife, Martha (née de Beer), and their six-year-old daughter Trudi, were living in Rotterdam when the Germans ordered them to register for so-called work in the east. Instead, the family decided to go into hiding. Salomon, a salesman in the toy industry, was an acquaintance of Jan de Vries*, who worked for his brother-in-law. Jan offered to help find the Israels family a hiding place. Thus, on July 31, 1942, he brought them to the home of Theunis and Hiske Boonstra in Donkerbroek, Friesland. There, Salomon’s brother, Maurits, soon joined them. All these fugitives stayed with the Boonstras until a few weeks before the liberation, when they were threatened with betrayal. Theunis and Hiske had three young children and lived on a farm that lacked running water. The living quarters and barns for the cattle were all under one roof. The Israels were given a room in the attic that could only be reached through a staircase inside the house. The farm was somewhat isolated from the village but everyone was continuously on the alert and the Israels could not leave the house. Only some of Theunis’s brothers, who were also hiding members of the Israels family, knew that they were hiding Jews. They lived off their modest income and what they produced on the farm. Sometimes, Jan de Vries brought them money, but this stopped following his arrest in late 1943. One day a razzia took place on a neighboring farm that belonged to Jan and Grietje Boonstra*, who were hiding Martha’s sister and family. Sophie Grunwald-de Beer, Martha’s sister, managed to escape and went to Theunis and Hiske’s farm, but her husband, Salomon Grunwald, was caught and perished. On April 1, 1945, when Theunis and Hiske heard that their farm had come under suspicion, they immediately moved their wards out and personally accompanied them to another address, where they remained until the liberation in May. During the war, Theunis was also involved in concealing weapons in his home and assisting members of the Netherlands Forces of the Interior. On July 7, 1986, Yad Vashem recognized Theunis Boonstra and his wife, Hiske Boonstra-van der Ley, as Righteous Among the Nations.

Gezin 1

Huwelijkspartner:	Hiske van der Leij	geb. 4 Feb 1914 overl. 2 Juli 1966
Huwelijk:	16 MEI 1936	Ooststellingwerf