Kaatje Cohen was born in Garrelsweer (community of Loppersum) as the daughter of the Jewish butcher Filippus Salomon Cohen. She attended the teacher's training course in Appingedam, where she started to be called Kitty instead of Kaatje. After completing the teacher's training programme she found a temporary appointment in Ruinen, where she boarded with Esther Kahn, who had a textile goods shop on…