Abraham van Gelder was married to Sibilla Heijmans. He and his wife lived at 22 Boschstraat in Winschoten until their deportation.
Abraham van Gelder enrolled at the Nederlands-Israëlietisch Seminarium in Amsterdam when he was 13 and sat for the first-level teacher's examination four years later. In 1890 he became a teacher at a Jewish religious school in Amsterdam. He was later appointed second cantor and teacher in Almelo. Afterwards be worked as a cantor teacher in Hengelo and then in Maastricht. In 1899 he was finally appointed to those positions with the Jewish community in Winschoten. He served as secretary to the Jewish community and on the Jewish board for poor relief. He was also one of the trustees of the house of detention in Winschoten.
Abraham van Gelder's motto was to preach little and do much. In 1924 at the celebration of his silver anniversary in office the members of his community presented him with a set of silverware and his students with a copper tobacco jar and an ash tray.
Sibilla van Gelder-Heijmans was chair of the women's board of the Doodgraverscollege in Winschoten.
G.S.Koeman-Poel, Een synagoge op het kruispunt van de winden (De Joden van Winschoten) 1750-1942(Winschoten 2002)29, 113-115, 157, 210
In addition, a Jokos file (number 17450) on this family is at the Amsterdam Municipal Archive. Access is subject to authorization from the Stichting Joods Maatschappelijk Werk.The Jokos file reveals that a claim was lodged for compensation for valuables surrendered to the Lippmann-Rosenthal looting bank (L-claim, number 3793/15188).