Jakob Levitus was the eighth and youngest child in the family of Heiman Levitus and Esther Kosses. He lived with his parents, sisters and brothers in his birthplace of Winschoten until age 7, when they moved to Amsterdam. He attended the Jewish school on the Rapenburgerstrat and was an excellent student. He found a job as an office boy at the Amsterdamse Bank on the Sarphatistraat, where he advanced to deputy manager.
On 24 March 1920 Jakob Levitus married Sophia Barend, daughter of Salomon Barend and Lena Ijzerkoper, who worked as a brilliant turner. The couple lived in Amsterdam, first at 10 Laing's Nekstraat, later at 5 Swammerdamstraat and at 217 Rijnstraat from 1930. They had two daughters, Esther and Lena. After completing their schooling, both daughters worked with their father at the bank.
In July 1942 the daughters were called up. Their parents decided to accompany them. The four family members were deported to Auschwitz via Westerbork.
The following documents remain: copies of the birth certificate of Jakob Levitus, of the marriage certificate of Jakob Levitus and Sophia Barend, of the ketubah from their chuppah, of the death certificate from Auschwitz of Jakob Levitus, of the birth certificate of Esther Levitus, of the death certificate from Auschwitz of Esther Levitus and of the birth certificate of Lena Levitus.
In addition, a Jokos file (number 33242) on this family is at the Amsterdam Municipal Archive. Access is subject to authorization from the Stichting Joods Maatschappelijk Werk.The Jokos file reveals that a claim was lodged for compensation for valuables surrendered to the Lippmann-Rosenthal looting bank (L-claim, number 7480/7046).