Joseph Kokernoot, born 21 October 1904 in Amsterdam, was the 5th of the six children of Matthijs Kokernoot and Mietje Gompers. He was a dealer in haberdasheries but in the 1930s and in the early years of WWII, when products became scarce, he was a representative in surrogates. His father had died already at the age of 47 in 1911, but his mother and five sisters Frederika, Hendrika, Sophie, Sara, Stella and also he himself were all killed during the Shoah.
Joseph married 28 February 1929 the 22-year old Rebecca de Paauw, a seamstress by profession, who was born 25 September 1906 in Amsterdam as daughter of Philip de Paauw and Marianne van de Kar and on 7 July 1931, their daughter Meta was born. Rebecca had three other brothers, namely David, Samuel and Willem, who also have lost their lives during the Holocaust.
After Joseph had married Rebecca in February 1929, they moved together into a house in the Tilanusstraat 17 in Amsterdam, where also their daughter Meta was born. Thereafter the moved to the Johann Keplerstraat in 1934 and in April 1936 to the Van Musschenbroekstraat 9 3rd floor.
On 24 February 1943 Joseph Kokernoot and his wife and daughter were arrested and carried off to concentrationcamp Vught. There Joseph stayed in barrack 42D and he was assigned to the Orde Dienst (O.D,) the law enforcement service. His wife Rebecca was added to the kitchen force and worked in Vught as cook. During the night of 2 on 3 July 1943 they were transferred from Vught to Westerbork, where Joseph had to stay in barrack 83 but his wife Rebecca and daughter Meta ended up in the penal barrack 67. Their offence against the occupier? Unknown!
With more than 2400 persons, they were put on transport to Sobibor including Joseph Kokernoot, his wife Rebecca Kokernoot-de Paauw and daughter Meta Kokernoot, were all killed in the gaschambers there on arrival on 9 July 1943.
Sources included the City Archive of Amsterdam, family registration card of Joseph Kokernnot and archive cards of Joseph Kokernoot, Rebecca de Paauw and Meta Kokernoot; the file cabinet of the Jewish Council, registration cards of Joseph Kokernoot, Rebecca Kokernoot-de Paauw and Meta Kokernoot; website ITS/Arolson Archives/Joseph Kokernoot and Meta Kokernoot and the Wikipedia website Jodentransporten vanuit Nederland.nl