Hendrik Gerritsma

Geslacht:	Man
Vader:	Anne Gerritsma
Moeder:	Niesjen Ebartha Bindervoet
Geboren:	17 Nov 1907	Grijpskerk
Beroep:		arts
Aantekeningen:	Last Name: Gerritsma First Name: Hendrik Date of Birth: 17/11/1907 Rescuer's fate: survived Nationality: THE NETHERLANDS Gender: Male Profession: FAMILY DOCTOR Organization/ Religious order: Amsterdamse Studenten Groep Place during the war: Sneek, Friesland, The Netherlands Rescue Place: Sneek, Friesland, The Netherlands Rescue mode: Hiding Arranging shelter File number: File from the Collection of the Righteous Among the Nations Department (M.31.2/8069) In 1943, Talje and Hendrik Gerritsma came into contact with the Amsterdam Student Group* and with Iet van Dijk, a group member who escorted children from Amsterdam to Sneek, Friesland. Hendrik was a family physician and Iet occasionally took children to his office during consulting hours, entering through his house rather than through the entrance to the office. Iet would hand over the child to Talje, who later accompanied it to a foster family. Hendrik provided the addresses and Talje traveled with the children. Only chaplain Jansen and his assistant, Posthuma Mantje, knew about the Gerritsmas’ activities. Talje tried to put the information about the people who helped hide Jews and about their charges into code and hide the memos around her house. She advised the foster mothers to keep the clothes that the children had arrived in for identification purposes after the war. The children stayed at one address and Talje visited them there monthly, providing food coupons. None of the foster parents ever asked for money. In the spring of 1944, Talje became pregnant with her third child. This gave her a good excuse to take Mary Brinitzer-van Amerongen into her home under the guise of a maid. In the autumn of that year, a boat with malnourished children from Amsterdam arrived in Sneek. Talje took two teenagers who looked especially Jewish. They were cousins, both named Karel Sternfeld, and Talje arranged for them to hideout with the de Groot family until the end of the war. Hendrik and Talje also found hiding places for, among others, Betty Rodrigues, Walter Fuchs, Rachel Schrijver, David Willem Vischjager (alias Ids Boot), J. Speyer-Bolle, and Donnie van Herpen. On August 23, 1998, Yad Vashem recognized Hendrik Gerritsma and his wife, Talje Elizabeth Gerritsma-Bruins, as Righteous Among the Nations.

Gezin 1

Huwelijkspartner:	Talje Elizabeth Bruins	geb. 4 OKT 1911
Huwelijk:	18 Nov 1933	Grootegast