Adara Kleinman Jansen, 2001 Brantford, Ontario, Canada
I lived a few years in Rotterdam with Gerrit and his family. We had our son 2 years after the end of the war Frank Gerrit Azriel. We wanted a fresh start so we emigrated to Canada and settled in the city of Brantford my father and Flora came with us. We had four more children a daughter Rebekah Anne in 1949, twin girls; Sarah Lilith and Emily Mae in 1952 and finally Verena Elisabeth in 1956. Gerrit and I opened a hardware store in the city downtown and we lived very happily, my husband passed away in 1996. My father lived with my husband, myself and my children and also worked in our store. He was a loving grandfather to my children. He passed away in 1986, often I visit his grave with my children we also visit Gerrit's. Next to my fathers grave he had three cenotaphs placed in memory that read.
In Loving memory of
Sarah 1893-1943
Azriel (1939-1943)
Rebekah (1928-1944)
You must wonder about Flora, she lived with us until she met her husband Henry Abeles a French- Jewish survivor they moved to Toronto were he worked at a university as a professor. They had two children Linus Henri (born in 1950) who married my daughter Emily, and a daughter Hester Maria (born in 1955). After the war we learned what had truly happened to Hester and we weren't surprised. Hester, Hans and Maggie were taken to Westerbork and stayed there for one month. They were then deported to Auschwitz and killed upon arrival there. I miss all of them every day. I tell my story to people to show what hate can lead to. I use my story so that when we say 'Never Again" we mean it.
"From those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it"
-George Santayna