Gompert Gazan, mostly known as Herman, was a son of Philip Gazan and Hendrina Schlosser. He was a kosher butcher by trade, the only one in Holten. On 30 August 1916 he married there Betje Berg, a daughter of Abraham Berg and Dina Pagrach. The couple had ten children, namely Abraham (known as Bram), Hendrie Philip (known as Harry), Louis, David, Dina, David Isaak Geerts, Dina Hendrina, Bernard Levie, Helena Dora Eva and Dora. Of these children, Bram, Harry and Louis have survived the Holocaust. Dina and David have died at young aged. The other five children, together with their mother, were killed in the Shoah,.
Gompert (Herman) Gazan was the leader of a resistance group in Holten, who raided government buildings to obtain ration coupons and identity cards. His arrest was due to treason: a policeman pretended to be resistance man, but turned out to be a traitor who was infiltrated in the group. Gompert Gazan was arrested by Dutch policemen and transferred to the SD (Sicherheits Dienst) in Arnhem. Before put on the train, he was already battered and knocked down. However, the traitor was uncovered and liquidated. In the dome prison of Arnhem, Gompert (Herman) Gazan was tortured and beaten to death as a revenge. It is still the question what has happened to his body; it was never found.
His wife Betje Berg and her five children were sent to Camp Westerbork on 10 September 1943. They had to stay in barack 70. According the registration card of the Jewish Council, Betje Gazan-Berg has attempted to be exempted from deportation. Notes at her registration card of 18 September 1943 reads:
Request made, based on mixed marriage. Requested exemption Rijksinspectie from municipality Holten 11/9 ; man J II and children J1. Please inform Mr. S.J.Hamming at Boomkamp 12 in Rijssen about a favourable descision 15/9. On 17 September the Council of Holten has informed that a descision by the Rijksinspectie was unknown there. On 23 September a letter from Mr. Hamming reads that an decision by the Rijksinspectie still wasn’t received.
These efforts eventually have lead to nothing so Betje with her five children still were deported to Auschwitz on 8 February 1944 and upon arrival there immediately killed on 11 February 1944.
Sources: website www.wiewaswie.nl; from the book "In Herinnering. Verhalen over Herman Gazan en andere Joodse families in Holten. (Memories. Stories about Herman Gazan and other Jewish families in Holten). Edited by Ouheidkamer Hoolt'n; the file cabinet of the Jewish Council, registration cards of Betje Gazan-Berg and her five children Gazan and an addition of a visitor of the website.
A memorial in Holten commemorates the Jewish victims of this town. More information on this memorial can be found (in Dutch) on the website of the Nationaal Comité 4 en 5 mei.