Aaltje Nathans was the eldest daughter of Simon Nathans and Betje de Jong. She married 4 May 1910 Philip Polak from Schoonoord in Haren (Groningen) a son of Simon Polak and Bettje van Rhijn. The couple had two children, namely Betje and Simon.

Aaltje, her husband and children have been killed in the Shoah, however on different locations and times.  Aaltje's husband Philip Polak presumably stayed in the Psychiatric Hospital Port Natal in Assen. From there all patients and staff were deported in 1943 by the german occupiers. Philip Polak was killed in Sobibor on 23 April 1943. Aaltje's daughter Betje, who worked as shop assistant in the store of her uncle Izaak van Dam in Zuidlaren, was killed in Auschwitz on 8 October 1942 and her son Simon lost his life somewhere in Mid Europe on 31 March 1943.

Aaltje self was killed in Sobibor on 13 March 1943. At her card from the archive of the Jewish Council is mentioned that she has arrived in Camp Westerbork on 9 March 1943, but already the next day, obviously still before she was registered in the camp, listed with her maiden name Nathans was deported to Sobibor on 10 March 1943. (see notes on her card of the Jewisch Council "bereits vor Registratur abgereist - vermoedelijk 10-3-1943 op transport"). 

Aaltje's parents had eight children in total. They were Klara, Nathan, Salomon David, Sophia, Eva, David Simon, Anna and Aaltje self. Only her brother Nathan passed away already rather young: he died in 1913, 27 years old. All other siblings have been killed in the Shoah.

Website www.wiewaswie.nl; archive of the Jewisch Council, cards of Aaltje Polak-Nathans and her familymembers; Encyclopedia Drente, https://www.geheugenvandrenthe.nl/licht-en-kracht and the history of Port Natal, http://www.portnatal.nl/Landgoed_Port_Natal/Geschiedenis.html.