Tjitske Mulder was born in 1909 In Holland, in 1944 During WW2 at the age of 35 she received a knock at the door. It was the family doctor, a member of the Dutch underground. He needed help hiding a young Jewish woman from the Nazi Gestapo. She and her Husband immediately took her in, not just putting their lives in danger but also that of their children.

The family would later take in 2 more elderly Jews, who turned out to be the woman’s parents. They sacrificed a lot during the war to hide the jewish family, Even sending the older children away to ensure they did not mention the people in their home to anyone without understanding the implications.

She was a smart and cunning woman, in one instance when the Nazis came to search her home. She quickly hid all the 3 Jews into a room and put “contagious” on the door. The Germans were afraid of getting sick and hurriedly left the house. 

Years later she said “We had a feeling we had to do it and we did. You can’t explain it I just knew I had to do it” 

Growing up I heard this and many more stories of Great Grandma Tjitske and Great Grandpa Jan. Like Jan hiding a radio under his Barber chair to listen to Radio Orange or asking others for more food vouchers hoping they did not turn them in and of how they overcame fear to do what was right. 

Sometimes it’s hard to know what’s right and wrong and you have to trust your feelings. While I hope I am never in a situation this horrible, I hope I can be like my great – grandma and do what’s right. 

Both of my great grandparents have been honored in Israel and have their names on a plaque in the Garden of righteousness there. As well as listed in the Holocaust Museum with others who hid Jews during WW2.

— Samantha Jamwal