Benjamin van Straten was the 2nd of the three children of Elkan van Straten and Sara Sealtiel. His older brother Levie was killed during the Shoah, just like he himself and his family, but his younger sister Rozette and her family survived the Holocaust. Benjamin married Dina Heilbron, on 24 July 1929 in Amsterdam, a daughter of Jesaia Heilbron and Regina Dikker and had three children with her: in 1931 Sarah came, in 1935 Jesaia but about their son Gerard is nothing further known. The Benjamin van Straten family lived at President Steijnstraat 11 2nd floor in Amsterdam-East.
Benjamin van Straten was a diamond worker by profession. In order to obtain postponement of deportation, he has applied by completing the form "provisional exemption from deportation for diamond workers". However, it does not seem that this resulted in any success, because on June 20, 1943, during the large and secretly prepared round-up - in which more than 5500 Jews were driven together and taken to Westerbork - Benjamin van Straten, his wife Dina Heilbron and his two children Sarah and Jesaia eventually were arrested too and taken to Westerbork.
In Westerbork, Dina and her children were housed in barrack 58, but Benjamin ended up in penal barrack 67. The reason for that is not known. However, the transport lists did not show that Benjamin was deported as a "penal case" but was deported with his family as "Normal Transport" on 6 July 1943 to Sobibor. Upon arrival there, all were immediately killed on 9 July 1943.
Sources: City Archive of Amsterdam, archive cards of Benjamin van Straten, Dina Heilbron, Sarah and Jesaia van Straten; the file cabinet of the Jewish Council, registration cards of Benjamin van Straten, Dina van Straten-Heilbron, Sarah and Jesaia van Straten.