Jacobus den Hamer
| Geslacht: | Man | |
| Vader: | Cornelis den Hamer | |
| Moeder: | Aaltje de Jonge | |
| Geboren: | 7 Feb 1891 | Axel |
| Overleden: | 28 Jan 1957 | Terneuzen |
| Beroep: | handelaar | |
| Aantekeningen: | Last Name: Hamer den First Name: Jacobus Date of Birth: 07/02/1891 Date of death: 28/01/1957 Rescuer's fate: survived Nationality: THE NETHERLANDS Gender: Male Place during the war: Terneuzen, Zeeland, The Netherlands Rescue Place: Terneuzen, Zeeland, The Netherlands Rescue mode: Hiding File number: File from the Collection of the Righteous Among the Nations Department (M.31.2/318) In 1943, when Betsy Walvis (later Elisheva Polak) was five years old, her parents decided to take up a friends offer to arrange to hide her. Betsys mother, also in hiding, was not informed of her daughters whereabouts until after the war; her father perished in Auschwitz. Betsy was initially taken to the Simone family in Amsterdam. She stayed there for five months before being transferred by the underground to the den Hamer family in Terneuzen, Zeeland. Jacobus and Adriana den Hamer had nine children aged seven to 22. They also lived with two aged grandparents, one of whom was totally paralyzed. Betsy was provided with forged documents that identified her as Liesje Huistink, a refugee from Walcheren, another island in Zeeland whose bridges had been blown up and the residents evacuated. The family was never financially compensated. They acted out of religious and humanitarian motives. About three months before the end of the war, the Germans requisitioned the den Hamers home and made it their headquarters. The family was assigned one room in the house. Jacobus and Adriana decided to send four of their younger children as well as Betsy to a safer place. The fact that some of the children stayed together disguised Betsys otherness. They were sent to a cousin, Mrs. Koos Dilleman, in Zaamslag, a neighboring village, where they stayed until the liberation. On May 5, 1945, Jacobus went to pick up his children and Betsy. Betsy stayed with the den Hamers until August 1945, when her mother located her after searching through lists of survivors. After Betsy had returned to her mother, the den Hamers continued to send her presents and even paid for her flight from Israel in 1966 to celebrate Adrianas 70th birthday. On February 28, 1967,Yad Vashem recognized Jacobus den Hamer and his wife, Adriana den Hamer-Coppoolse, as Righteous Among the Nations. |
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Gezin 1
| Huwelijkspartner: | Adriana Coppoolse | geb. 29 OKT 1896 overl. 5 MRT 1987 |
| Huwelijk: | 5 MEI 1920 | Oostkapelle |