Abigael da Cunha, cloak seamstress by profession, was a daughter of David da Cunha and Helena Stokking. She was born on 1 November 1901 in Antwerp and married on 29 may 1920 in Borgerhout Aron Cosman, a son of Simon Cosman and Abigael Polak. With Aron she had three daughters, namely Sophia, who was born in Antwerp in 1921, then Helena in Borgerhout in 1924 and in Antwerp again Simonne Carla in 1926.
Her husband Aron was a commercial traveller and dealer in fancy articles. He lived already from 1919 in Borgerhout. After her wedding they moved still a few times, among others to Schiebroek near Rotterdam, to Berchem and to Amsterdam. The marriage of Abigael da Cunha and Aron Cosman did not last however, and presumably in 1939 they divorced in Amsterdam. After the divorce Aron left for Den Haag where he finally lived in the Oudemansstraat 330 and Abigael left with her three daughters to the Gerard Doustraat 33, also in Den Haag.
The eldest daughter Sophia married in Den Haag Salomon Poons on 5 August1942, who was born on 29 September 1921 in Den Haag as son of Michel Poons and Eva Abram. After they were wed, Salomon Poons moved in with Sophia in the Gerard Doustraat 33. On 21 August they were both put on transport to Auschwitz and on 30 September 19442 both have died there. (for more biographic details see page of Sophia Poons-Cosman).
It appeared in the file cabinet of the Jewish Council that of Abigael da Cunha’s other daughters, Helena and Simonne Clara no registration cards were findable. The card of Abigael da Cunha shows however that she presumably with her daughters already in August 1942 in Westerbork was. Abigael da Cunha got married again to Barend Vos in Westerbork, who was previously married and divorced from Naatje Peeper. Barend Vos arrived in Westerbork between 3 and 5 October 1942.
Abigael Vos-da Cunha subsequently was deported to Auschwitz on 16 October 1942 with her new husband Barend Vos and her daughters Helena and Simonne Clara Cosman. On arrival there Abigael, Helena and Simonne Clara were immediately gassed in the gas chambers of Auschwitz Birkenau.
Barend Vos on the contrary, was presumably forced during a stop in Kozel, located ±80 km west from Auschwitz, together with 569 other prisoners to leave the train to be deployed as forced labourers in the surrounding labor camps in the region. It is not known were Barend Vos ended up eventually, nor when he has lost his life and under what circumstances. Therefore the Dutch authorities after the war have established that he has died somewhere in Mid Europe on 31 March 1944.
Sources include the Felix Archive of Antwerp - dossiers of foreigners of Borgerhout and Berchem for Aron Cosman no’s 968#21607 en 995#4011; the city archive of Amsterdam, family registration cards of Simon Cosman and Aron Cosman, archive cards of Aron Cosman and Abigael da Cunha; family registration card of Barend Vos of the municipality of Schiebroek; the file cabinet of the Jewish Council, registration cards of Aron Cosman, Abigael da Cunha, Barend Vos and the wikipedia website Jodentransporten vanuit Nederland.nl.