Herman and his sister Sara found shelter in an orphanage in Driebergen, run by the sisters Holst - Bep (Lammerdina Elisabeth) and Jo. The kids called them Aunt Bep and Aunt Jo. During the war the sisters Holst took ten Jewish children under their care, feeling safe because their location - on the outskirts of the village. For a long time everything went well - the jewish children were regarded as their non-Jewish friends and the daily routine continued.
Until November 15, 1943. Someone heard about the jewish childeren and informed the Nazies. As a result of that betrayal the police arrived and arrested the sisters and took the children. Shortly before the raid Jack van Rood Speyer was transferred to a hiding address.
The non-Jewish children were sent to Amsterdam and the Jewish children were separated from them and were sent to Westerbork transit camp. The camp records show that the children stayed there for about three months, between November 17, 1943 and February 8, 1944.
On that harsh day, the eight years old boy and his seven years old sister were put on the train, transport 86, and arrived in Auschwitz. On the 11th of this month they were murdered there.
The records show that Nelly, the oldest girl among the Jewish children in the orphanage, stayed ten months in Westerbork, transferred to Theresienstadt, and succeeded to survive. The two youngest children also suvived. Seven of the ten children were murdered: Herman Eliakim Vleeschhouwer - 8 years; Sarah Eva Vleeschhouwer - 7 years; Rosalie Elisabeth Florist - 10 years; Philip van Praag - 13 years; Herman Rudolf Odewald - 10 years; William Philip of Naarden - 4 years; Emanuel de Groot - 8 years.
Jack van Rood Speyer lives longer but in the end is also murdered in Auschwitz. He was 8 years old.
The two care takers were taken to Vught camp in the Netherlands. Aunt Jo survived the camp and was released on July 7, 1944. Aunt Bep was killed in the night of the 15th of January 1944. On October 3, 2012 the town of Driebergen called a street on the names of the sisters Holst: Ladies Holsthof street. one of the paticipants in the unveiling ceremony was Nelly, the girl from the orphanage.
Source: http://www.nmkampvught.nl/biografieen/holst-lammerdina-e/
