Benjamin Aron Polak, the younger brother of Joseph Polak, was a son of Aron Polak and Rosette van Straten. He was born on 8 December 1918 in Amsterdam and he was a salesman in gold and silver. On 19 June 1941 he married the seamstress Trijntje Cohen – usually called Hetty – who was born on 1 September 1917 in Hoorn as a daughter of Heiman Cohen and Bella Wagenhuizen. Benjamin Aron and Trijntje had no children.
Six month earlier, Benjamin Aron’s brother Joseph was married to Lena Barend and Trijntje (Hetty) Cohen was one of the two bridesmaids at the wedding. The other was Jettie Barend, the 12-year old daughter of his brother-in-law Barend Barend who was married to Sara Premselaar.
Until their wedding, Benjamin Aron and Trijntje (Hetty) lived at home in Amsterdam with their parents; Benjamin in the Swammerdamstraat 16 2nd floor and Trijntje (Hetty) in the Ruijsschstraat 72 parterre, but on 19 June 1941, they moved into their own house in the Van Woustraat 170 2nd floor in Amsterdam-South. Meantime Benjamin Aron was active as an antique dealer. He had a good education: 5 year HBS-A at the Public Trade School (OHS) at Raamplein and French commercial correspondence.
Benjamin Aron Polak had a “Sperre”, issued by the Jewish Council. He was exempted from deportation until further notice. Since 18 July 1942 he had this job at the General Service Department of the Jewish Council at Plantage Parklaan 9 and worked in the "dispatch riding“ as a messenger boy between the various departments of the Jewish Council. Due to his “Sperre” also his wife Trijntje (Hetty) was exempted from deportation until further notice.
On 11 June 1943 Benjamin and Trijntje (Hetty) were taken and carried off to Westerbork, where they stayed in barrack 63. On 20 June they were both put on transport to Sobibor, and upon arrival there on 2 July 1943 they were immediately killed in the gas chambers there.
Sources include the City Archive of Amsterdam, family registration cards of Aron Polak and Heiman Cohen, archive cards of Benjamin Aron Polak and Trijntje Cohen; the Dossier of Foreigners of the City of Antwerp for Heiman Cohen, nr. 184528 and the file cabinet of the Jewish Council, registration cards of Benjamin Aron Polak and Trijntje Polak-Cohen.