Wolf (Wolli) is the fifth born in a family with 11 children from Naaldwijk. After his father died, the family moved to the Rivierenbuurt at The Hague, with 10 children, the youngest just two years old. At that time, with two of his brothers, Emanuel (Mani) and Solomon (Sali) they open a butcher shop and thus could support the family. The latter specialized in selling calves and the company was called: Firma Gebr. VAN PRAAGH. Grossiers in Kalfsvleesch.
His work included traveling to farms to bid on the calves and sometimes they would go to the fair. In one of the pictures, you see that they won a medal for their calf. After some years, the three brothers moved to Rijswijk and their families lived close to each other, and with time there were children and grandchildren. The family used to celebrate holidays and birthdays together.
Wolf married at the age of 40 to Clara van den Berg who was 12 years younger than him. And they had two children; Janny 1917 and Max 1923. At one point his wife Clara became def and along with that she became mentally ill and thereafter she was hospitalized at Apeldoornsche Bosch. The family used to visit her from time to time and this is often mentioned in their letters.
After the German Invasion of Holland, in 1941, Wolf was prisoned at the Oranjehotel for selling meat, because Jews were no longer permitted to work. When he was released, his family was already in hiding, so he joins them. During the war, in 1942, the families of Wolf and Mani, and another brother Aron, went into hiding above the greengrocer, Henk De Wit in Delft. About the hiding place you can read in “Memories of a Greengrocer.”
Their brother Sali, who married a non-Jewish wife did not have to hide and thus he could support them from the outside. Unfortunately, in 1943 this hiding place was informed and betrayed. Most of the people had no other place to go and they were collected by the SS.
Two separate addresses were found for Wolf’s children, Max and Janny. Max survived until 1944 by hiding place at Jan Klein home in The Hauge. From their family, only Janny survived the war and she immigrated to Israel in 1948 with the name Miriam Bezek. There she married Sal Lorsch - Slomo Bezek and they had 4 daughters; Rachel, Salma, Ziewah, and Diklah (me).
From stories, letters, and birthdays cards we know that he was a very kind and beloved uncle and family man. I am so sorry I never got to meet him and enjoy this wonderful grandfather that he could be to me.