Sara Blits was born on 16-Feb-1882 in Amsterdam. Sara was the younger sister of Mietje Blits and the twelfth child of Simon Hartog Blits and Leentje Koopman. On 05-Feb-1902 Sara married Meijer Blitz in Amsterdam. Sara and Meijer had four children Eva, Simon, Jozef and Henri. By the time of the war, Sara and Meijer were living at Kromme Mijdrechtstraat 20 huis, along with their son Henri.
Meijer Blitz came from a large family in Amsterdam. In one census record, it is noted that he had lived in America, though no further information was found on this topic. He registered for the military in 1899. He was recorded as a diamond cutter, which is the profession that he continued to practice for the rest of his life. He had an oval face, blond hair, gray eyes and was 162cm tall. On 20-Dec-1899 it was decided by the military that he would not be called for service.
It is reasonable to assume that Sara was close to her sister Esther Blits, as well as her family. As well as being only two years apart in age, Esther lived with her son Louis Goudsmit just over two blocks away on Eemsstraat. Sara’s niece Lina Goudsmit (daughter of Esther) just one block away on Vechtstraat. Sara’s brother Isaac Blits and his family lived just across the Amstel river. As the deportations in Amsterdam began in the Summer of 1942, the family was impacted significantly. Sara’s nephew Simon Blits and great-nephew Isaäc Blits were deported between May and August of 1942. Sara’s nephew Louis Goudsmit was also deported around 15-Jul-1942.
Amidst this turbulence in the extended family, Sara died on 10-Jul-1942 in Amsterdam. In her obituary she is remembered by her extended family as 'beloved wife, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother and sister.' In her death certificate, the cause of death is listed as 'Carcinoma van de maag' (Carcinoma of the stomach). Sara is memorialized in the Joods Monument as a Holocaust victim to show the context of the impact of the Holocaust on the entire Jewish community.
A few months later, Sara Blits' husband Meijer Blitz was deported on 06-Sep-1942. As of 01-Sep-1942, the Amsterdam police received new orders to begin filling their quotas for deportation by arresting people directly in their homes during curfew hours. This was in contrast to the approach before this period, where people were summoned to appear in an 'Arbeitseinsatz' (work assignment). Most of the individuals from these deportations in the first few days of September were first taken to the Hollandsche Schouwburg theater.
After several days, the deportees were taken to Westerbork through the Amsterdam central station. After a day or two in Westerbork, Meijer would have been marched back with the other 930 deportees to the Hooghalen train station to board a third class passenger train to Auschwitz. The train arrived on 08-Sep-1942. Meijer was among the 698 people killed upon arrival at the camp. He died on 10-Sep-1942 at the age of 62.
Sources
Amsterdam Stadsarchief: Geregisteerde (Census) Mietje Blits
Amsterdam Stadsarchief: Archive Card Sara Blits
Amsterdam Stadsarchief: Archive Card Meijer Blitz
Amsterdam Stadsarchief: Militieregisters (Military Registration) Meijer Blitz
Amsterdam Stadsarchief: Geregistreerde (Census) Meijer Blitz
Amsterdam Stadsarchief VKPA02518000045: Opgave wegen Overlijden (Death Certificate)
Amsterdam Stadsarchief VKPA02518000046: Verklaring van Overlijden, (Death Certificate Appendix A)
WieWasWie and Noord-Hollands Archief: Marriage Certificate Meijer Blitz and Sara Blits
ITS-Arolsen 130261463: Judenrat Card Meijer Blitz
Yad Vashem: Transport from Westerbork to Auschwitz 07-Sep-1942