Izak van Polen, who was born on 18 February 1872 in Culemborg, was a son of Isak van Polen and Sara Wijsenbek. He was married on 21 September 1904 to Eva van Berg, a daughter of Benjamin van Berg and Griete Schaap. Eva was born in Gorredijk, municipality of Opsterland (Fr) on 20 July 1875.
Isaac was a diamond cutter by profession. After he married Eva in 1904, he and his wife lived briefly at another address in Amsterdam from 10 November, before they moved to Weesperstraat 11, 1st floor, on 13 May 1905. Their son Izak Elkan was born there on 22 July 1905 and a few years later, on 31 May 1913, their second son Benjamin Israel.
An uncle of Eva van Berg, Abraham de Hes, who, like Eva, was born in the Frisian municipality of Opsterland (25 May 1899) and was still unmarried at the time, lived in Amsterdam with Eva's parents, Benjamin van Berg and Griete Schaap in the Weesperstraat 87. After moving to Koninginneweg and in September 1922 to Vlissingen, Abraham de Hes returned to Amsterdam on 7 April 1924 and found accommodation with Izak van Polen and Eva van Berg at Weesperstraat 11 1st floor..
Eva van Polen-van Berg died several years before the outbreak of the war: on 30 August 1935 and was interred on 1 September at the Jewish Cemetery in Muiderberg. The Van Polen family had moved several times since 1933; like between 1933 and 1943 to the Zuider Amstellaan 14 ground floor, Nieuwe Herengracht 26, the Oude Schans 7, the Nieuwe Achtergracht 109 1st floor, to the Uiterwaardenstraat 75 2nd floor, the Van Woustraat 198 1st floor and in March 1943 the Biesboschstraat 42 ground floor.
The 71-year-old widower Izak van Polen was arrested from his last known address and ended up in Westerbork via the Hollandse Schouwburg. On 10 March 1943, Izak was deported to Sobibor with more than 1100 other victims. This was also the last transport to Sobibor with passenger wagons. Later transports were carried out with freight or livestock wagons. 13 people from the transport of 10 March 1943 ultimately managed to survive. However, not Izak of Poland, he was murdered immediately in the gas chambers of Sobibor after arriving there on 13 March 1943.
Sources include the City Archive of Amsterdam, family registration cards of Izak van Polen, archive card of Izak van Polen, archive cards of Alida van Berg, Mozes de Hes and Abraham de Hes; website stenenarchief.nl/grave Eva van Berg/record 37250; Various Amsterdam residence cards as Weesperstraat 11 1st and others as mentioned; Transport list 10 Maart 1943 Westerbork -> Sobibor as published in 1994 in the book Extermination camp Sobibor by Jules Schelvis; website Jodentransporten vanuit Nederland.nl/transport 10 March 1943.
(Izak van Polen’s registration card(s) was found in the Jewish Council file cabinet).