Izak Kalker, butcher by trade, was a son of Mozes Levie Kalker and Rachel Meijer, was born on 2 March 1883 in Varik in the municipality of West Betuwe. On 12 July 1921 he married Maria van Blijdenstijn in Ophemert, a daughter of Hijman van Blijdenstijn and Judith Docters. She was born on 5 January 1890 as the third child in a family of six.
The Kalker couple lived with their children at Waalbrandijk in Ophemert in De Betuwe (province of Gelderland) from where the entire family was carried off to concentration camp Vught on 9 April 1943. From there, their son Mozes Levie was put to work in the Sub-Command (Aussen Kommando) Moerdijk and after return in Vught transferred to Westerbork on 3 July 1943, where he had to stay in barrack 61. On 20 July he was put on transport with the last and 19th train from Westerbork to Sobibor and on arrival there on 23 July 1943 immediately killed in the gas chambers there.
The daughters Rachel and Judith Kalker were assigned to the Philips Command and put on transport from there on 3 June 1944 to Auschwitz. Upon arrival there they were admitted in the camp and after a stay there, this group has been dragged through Germany for some time, a terrible journey but in the end after arriving in the North of Germany, liberated by the Swedish Red Cross. Rachel and Judith Kalker survived the Holocaust thanks to Philips and were able to return from Sweden to the Netherlands.
Izak Kalker and his wife Maria van Blijdenstijn, together with their youngest daughter Antje Jeannette Kalker were transferred from Vught to Westerbork on 8 May 1943. Antje Jeannette stayed there in barrack 58 and possibly also her parents. A few days later, on 11 May they were put on transport to Sobibor. On arrival there on 14 May 1943, Izak Kalker, his wife Maria van Blijdenstijn and their daughter Antje Jeannette Kalker were immediately killed in the gas chambers there.
Sources include the website wiewaswie.nl/wedding Izak Kalker/Marian van Blijdenstijn; the file cabinet of the Jewish Council, registration cards of Izak Kalker, Maria Kalker-van Blijdenstijn, Mozes Levie Kalker, Antje Jeannette Kalker, Rachel Kalker and Judith Kalker; website ITS Arolson/ camp cards from Vught of Izak Kalker en Maria Kalker van Blijdenstijn,Mozes Levie Kalker, Antje Jeannette Kalker, Rachel Kalker and Judith Kalker and an addition of a visitor of the website.