Abraham van Rijs, manager and staff manager in a business, was a son of Isaac van Rijs and Heintje Bosboom. On 29 November 1928 he married in Rotterdam Sophia Hegt, a daughter of Alexander Hegt and Diena Katz. In Leiden, the couple had two daughters, namely Henny Hetty in 1931 and Dinah in 1935. They were killed in Sobibor, together with their parents.
After the wedding in Rotterdam the couple left for Leiden, where they resided at Roodborststraat 52 till July 1937. Then they moved to Heemstede, where they have lived at Timorstraat 31 till December 1942. Between December 1942 and January 1943, the family lived in Amsterdam at Eemsstraat 18 down floor and their last known address from where they were deported in May 1943 was Plantage Kerklaan 13 2nd floor in Amsterdam.
According data from his registration card of the Jewish Council, Abraham van Rijs was “Exploitant Rusthuis sedert 26 Juni 1941, de Joodsche Vereniging voor Verpleging en Verzorging (J.V.v.V.V.)” (Operator Rest home since 26 June 1941, the Jewish Association for Care and Nursing J.V.v.V.V.), located at Tolstraat 127-129, the former factory of A.Ascher, were he worked as social worker in the Children’s home. The task of the Association (J.V.v.V.V.) was to excecute permanent care of minors, elderly and disabled, and the nursing and care of the ill. The J.V.v.V.V. was also responsible for the management of all Jewish institutions for nursing and care, however all activities were ended in October 1943.
According data on her registration card of the Jewish Council, Sophia Hegt, formerly employed as a procurement officer at a freight office, was since 26 June 1941 “Co-operator Rest house for hard-to-educate children”. After 5-years HBS she studied social pedagogy and because of the function of her husband, her children and she self had a “sperre bis auf weiteres” (exempted from deportation until further notice).
Abraham van Rijs, his wife and his two daughters were sent to Camp Westerbork already on 26 May 1943, where the family had to stay in barack 61. On 1 June, all were deported to Sobibor, where they were killed immediately upon arrival there on 4 June 1943.
City Archive of Amsterdam, archive card of Abraham van Rijs; website www.wiewaswie.nl; website J.V.v.V.V. , https://www.archieven.nl/nl/zoeken?mivast=0&mizig=210&miadt=298&miaet=1&micode=182&minr=1514584&miview=inv2&milang=nl and the file cabinet of the Jewish Council, registration cards of Abraham van Rijs, Sophia Hegt, Henny Hetty van Rijs en Dinah van Rijs.