Jaap Penraat
Jaap Penraat | |
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resistance fighter , helped Jews to safety |
Righteous Among the Nations |
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By country |
Jaap Penraat (April 11, 1918 – June 25, 2006) was a Dutch
Life
Penraat was born in
After the war, Penraat became a noted designer in Amsterdam, until in 1958 he moved to the United States. In 1964, he designed the Dutch mill cafe, for the New York World's Fair.[1]
He remained silent about his wartime activities until his daughters convinced him that his grandchildren should know about them. He went on to describe his experiences to school groups. In subsequent interviews, he insisted he had only "done the decent thing". Yad Vashem, the official Israeli memorial to victims of the Holocaust, awarded him the designation of Righteous Among the Nations and put him on its honor roll on June 11, 1988.[1]
A longtime friend of Penraat's, Hudson Talbott, authored a children's book about Penraat's activities entitled Forging Freedom: A True Story of Heroism During the Holocaust. Talbott said in an interview that Penraat "just loved the idea of putting one over on the Nazis".[1]
Penraat died at his home in Catskill, New York at the age of 88, three years following the death of his wife, Jettie. He is survived by his three daughters, Marjolijn, Mir, and Noelle.[1]
References
- Forging Freedom - A true story of heroism during the Holocaust, by Hudson Talbott. New York, 2000.
External links
- New York Times "Jaap Penraat Dies at 88; Saved Hundreds in Holocaust" July 2, 2006 (registration may be required)
- Jerusalem Post
- Jaap Penraat at Yad Vashem website