Aron Polak, born on 26 November 1893 in Amsterdam, was a son of Joseph Polak and Marianne Dotsch. He was a merchant and traded in all kinds of goods. On 24 February 1915 he married Rosette van Straten in Zaandam, who was born on 15 January 1891 in Harlingen as a daughter of Aron van Straten and Rachel Boas. Before she was married, her profession was altering clothing. Later she worked as sorter of rags. Aron and Rosette had two sons, namely Joseph in 1915 and Benjamin Aron in 1918.
After their wedding in 1915, Aron and Rosette lived at Oude Zijds Voorburgwal 30 2nd floor in Amsterdam but left already after a few months for Snoekjesgracht. Yet a number of relocations still followed, before they came living on 5 October 1936 in the Swammerdamstraat 16 2nd floor. After the mandatory registration of the Jews in the Netherlands in 1941, another relocation followed to Swammerdamstraat 7 2nd floor, where also their son Joseph with his wife Lena Barend resided.
In May 1943, Aron and Rosette made attempts to relocate their valuables with relatives but were then arrested for "embezzlement" of their property and for questioning by the S.D. transferred to the Euterpestraat. From there they were transferred to Westerbork where they were locked up in a former women's barrack, but then penal barrack 65, waiting for their deportation. On 25 May 1943, Aron and Rosette were deported to Sobibor with a transport of more than 2,800 deportees, all of whom - including Aron Polak and his wife Rosette Polak - were immediately killed in the gas chambers upon arrival on 28 May 1943.
Sources include the City Archive of Amsterdam, family registration card of Aron Polak, archive card of Aron Polak and of Rosette van Straten; residence card of Swammerdamstraat 7 2nd floor in Amsterdam; website wiewaswie.nl/wedding Aron Polak to Rosette van Straten; the file cabinet of the Jewish Council, registration cared os Aron Polak and Rosette Polak-van Straten and additions of a visitor of the website.