“Coat"”

The coat that Mirjam Hamerslag was wearing when she was brought to the home in Hilversum

Determined to help save Jewish children destined for deportation and death, Mirjam Waterman (subsequently Pinkhof) became active in the Dutch underground. Her role was to take infants or small children whose parents were slated for deportation and to bring them to the Amstel train station. She would place the baby carriage where the other carriages were parked outside the station, go over to the platform and wait. A woman would approach her, Mirjam would hand her the child and the woman would then board the train together with the child. After the transfer, Mirjam would disappear from the station leaving the baby carriage behind so as not to arouse suspicion. As secrecy was vital to protect the mission and the members of the underground, Mirjam would give over the children without ever knowing their destination.

In May 1943, Mirjam arrived at the train station with Mirjam Hamerslag (1½ yrs old) and her brother Hans (born just a few days earlier). Shortly after the exchange took place at the train station, their parents Karel and Amalia Hamerslag were deported to Sobibor where they were murdered on May 28, 1943.

Mirjam and Hans reached a home in Hilversum under the management of Katy Mulder. A young girl named Kitty Frank was in charge of their care. Two weeks after the arrival of the Hamerslag children Kitty Frank received a visit from her friend Mirjam Waterman. Needless to say, Mirjam was amazed to discover the 2 small children in the Hilversum home that she had so recently helped to rescue.

Mirjam Waterman was later caught and sent to Bergen Belsen. Although subjected to harsh conditions and treatment for over a year, she managed to survive. After the war she was determined to return Hans and Mirjam Hamerslag to Jewish authorities. It was a difficult struggle but Mirjam persisted, and in 1949 the children were finally brought to Israel and adopted by the Araten family.

In the 1980’s, Zwi (formerly Hans) and Mirjam (who had since married and had their own families) managed to locate the woman who had taken them from Mirjam Waterman at the train station and placed them in the home, thereby saving their lives. Hetty Voute, their rescuer, was honored as a Righteous Among the Nations by Yad Vashem.

Hatty Voute planting a tree in the Avenue of the Righteous Among the Nations together with Zvi.

Hetty Voute planting a tree in the Avenue of the Righteous Among the Nations together with Zwi.

Katy Mulder

Katy Mulder, (known to the children in her care as “Aunt Katy”) kept the coat that Mirjam Hamerslag was wearing when she was brought to the home in Hilversum. She eventually gave it to Mirjam Pinkhof (formerly Waterman) who recently donated it to Yad Vashem along with other related items. Mirjam Pinkhof keeps in regular, close contact with the Zwi and Mirjam to this very day!