Henriëtte Henriquez Pimentel (17 April 1876 – 17 September 1943) was a Dutch teacher and trained nurse who during the Second World War headed a crèche in Amsterdam which cared for small children while their parents were otherwise occupied. Together with Walter Süskind and Johan van Hulst, from around October 1942 she helped to save the lives of hundreds of Jewish infants by smuggling them into the homes of sympathetic host families. After being arrested by the Nazis in April 1943, she was murdered in the Auschwitz concentration camp the following September.[1][2]
Born in Amsterdam on 17 April 1876, Henriëtte Henriquez Pimentel was the youngest daughter of the diamond cutter Nathan Henriquez Pimentel (1837–1893) and Rachel Oppenheimer (1841–1929). She was of Portuguese-Jewish descent.[3] Together with her seven siblings, she was brought up in a well family. After following a teacher's training course, in the 1920s she worked as a governess and a kindergarten teacher in Bussum. As she had also trained as a nurse, in 1926 she was appointed director of the Vereeniging Zuigelingen-Inrichting en Kindertehuis (Crèche and Kindergarten Institute) in Amsterdam. Founded with support from a Jewish legacy, it was a large, well-fitted modern establishment on the Plantage Middenlaan which accommodated up to a hundred infants and toddlers who were cared for by a team of mainly Jewish staff.[2][4]
In 1941, as a result of the German occupation, Pimentel was forced to dismiss her non-Jewish colleagues. By autumn 1942, the crèche had become a hostel accommodating Jewish children whose parents were taken to the Hollandsche Schouwburg on the other side of the street. Once a theatre, it had been converted into a centre for Jews scheduled for deportation to the Westerbork transit camp.[2]
The children in the crèche were also to be sent to Westerbork. In collaboration with Walter Süskind at the Jewish Council and Johan van Hulst who ran the neighbouring teachers training college, Pimentel made arrangements for as many as possible to be smuggled out to families willing to look after them, some as far away as Friesland or Limburg. For several months, the scheme went undetected as the children's names were removed from the transport schedules. Some of them were temporarily housed in the teachers training college while others were cared for by student groups or other resistance cells. Some sources estimate that up to a thousand were saved in this way, others around 500, but the large majority continued to be deported.[5] The operation was code-named "N.V.", short for Naamloze Vennootschap meaning "limited company."[1][4]
The Nazis arrived at the crèche on 23 July 1943, removing all the remaining children and all the staff. Pimentel was sent first to Westerbork, then to Auschwitz where she was murdered around 17 September 1943.[2]
Referencesedit
^ abPaldiel, Mordecai (1993). The Path of the Righteous: Gentile Rescuers of Jews During the Holocaust. KTAV Publishing House, Inc. pp. 116–. ISBN978-0-88125-376-4.
^ abcdVan Hintum, Marie-Cécile. "Pimentel, Henriëtte Henriquez (1876-1943)" (in Dutch). Huugens ING. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
^todonoticiasonline (15 August 2021). "Henriëtte Pimentel: 600 niños judíos rescatados gracias a su maestra en Amsterdam | Revista de verano". Todo Noticias Online (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 July 2023.
^ ab"henriëtte pimentel / wie één mens redt, redt een hele wereld (who saves one person saves a whole world)" (in Dutch). JoodsAmsterdam. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
^"'Nog 80 kinderen,wat moeten we doen?' (Another 80 children, what should we do)". de Volkskrant (in Dutch). 4 May 2012. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
External linksedit
Photographs of the crèche from Vrej Nederland
April 10, 2024
henriëtte, pimentel, henriëtte, henriquez, pimentel, april, 1876, september, 1943, dutch, teacher, trained, nurse, during, second, world, headed, crèche, amsterdam, which, cared, small, children, while, their, parents, were, otherwise, occupied, together, with. Henriette Henriquez Pimentel 17 April 1876 17 September 1943 was a Dutch teacher and trained nurse who during the Second World War headed a creche in Amsterdam which cared for small children while their parents were otherwise occupied Together with Walter Suskind and Johan van Hulst from around October 1942 she helped to save the lives of hundreds of Jewish infants by smuggling them into the homes of sympathetic host families After being arrested by the Nazis in April 1943 she was murdered in the Auschwitz concentration camp the following September 1 2 Henriette Henriquez PimentelBorn17 April 1876Amsterdam the NetherlandsDied17 September 1943NationalityDutchOccupation s Resistance fighter teacher nurseParentsNathan Henriquez Pimentel father Rachel Oppenheimer mother Biography editBorn in Amsterdam on 17 April 1876 Henriette Henriquez Pimentel was the youngest daughter of the diamond cutter Nathan Henriquez Pimentel 1837 1893 and Rachel Oppenheimer 1841 1929 She was of Portuguese Jewish descent 3 Together with her seven siblings she was brought up in a well family After following a teacher s training course in the 1920s she worked as a governess and a kindergarten teacher in Bussum As she had also trained as a nurse in 1926 she was appointed director of the Vereeniging Zuigelingen Inrichting en Kindertehuis Creche and Kindergarten Institute in Amsterdam Founded with support from a Jewish legacy it was a large well fitted modern establishment on the Plantage Middenlaan which accommodated up to a hundred infants and toddlers who were cared for by a team of mainly Jewish staff 2 4 In 1941 as a result of the German occupation Pimentel was forced to dismiss her non Jewish colleagues By autumn 1942 the creche had become a hostel accommodating Jewish children whose parents were taken to the Hollandsche Schouwburg on the other side of the street Once a theatre it had been converted into a centre for Jews scheduled for deportation to the Westerbork transit camp 2 The children in the creche were also to be sent to Westerbork In collaboration with Walter Suskind at the Jewish Council and Johan van Hulst who ran the neighbouring teachers training college Pimentel made arrangements for as many as possible to be smuggled out to families willing to look after them some as far away as Friesland or Limburg For several months the scheme went undetected as the children s names were removed from the transport schedules Some of them were temporarily housed in the teachers training college while others were cared for by student groups or other resistance cells Some sources estimate that up to a thousand were saved in this way others around 500 but the large majority continued to be deported 5 The operation was code named N V short for Naamloze Vennootschap meaning limited company 1 4 The Nazis arrived at the creche on 23 July 1943 removing all the remaining children and all the staff Pimentel was sent first to Westerbork then to Auschwitz where she was murdered around 17 September 1943 2 References edit a b Paldiel Mordecai 1993 The Path of the Righteous Gentile Rescuers of Jews During the Holocaust KTAV Publishing House Inc pp 116 ISBN 978 0 88125 376 4 a b c d Van Hintum Marie Cecile Pimentel Henriette Henriquez 1876 1943 in Dutch Huugens ING Retrieved 29 March 2018 todonoticiasonline 15 August 2021 Henriette Pimentel 600 ninos judios rescatados gracias a su maestra en Amsterdam Revista de verano Todo Noticias Online in Spanish Retrieved 22 July 2023 a b henriette pimentel wie een mens redt redt een hele wereld who saves one person saves a whole world in Dutch JoodsAmsterdam Retrieved 29 March 2018 Nog 80 kinderen wat moeten we doen Another 80 children what should we do de Volkskrant in Dutch 4 May 2012 Retrieved 29 March 2018 External links editPhotographs of the creche from Vrej Nederland Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Henriette Pimentel amp oldid 1214628304, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
