Mitzvah Day 2025 – Rudy Klijnkramer

Please join us to hear the story of Rudolf Klijnkramer, who experienced the Second World War as a child. He saw his class in Amsterdam-Zuid becoming increasingly empty before he could go into hiding with a family himself.

From May 1942 onwards, he had to wear a Star of David, just like all Jews from the age of six. After the deportations had started in July 1942, he saw his class becoming increasingly empty. One of the children who was arrested was his cousin Salomon Hartog Reindorp, who was nine months older than him.

“That was a huge shock. It was my first intense confrontation with being Jewish.”