Jan Smit
| Geslacht: | Man | |
| Vader: | Pieter Smit | |
| Moeder: | Jacomina Visbeen | |
| Geboren: | 25 Juli 1917 | Rotterdam |
| Overleden: | 1 Jan 2001 | |
| Beroep: | onderwijzer | |
| Aantekeningen: | Rechtvaardigen onder de Volkeren. Nederlanders met een Yad Vashem-onderscheiding voor hulp aan joden Personal Information Last Name: Smit First Name: Jan Date of Birth: 25/07/1917 Date of death: 01/01/2001 Rescuer's fate: underground movement member survived Nationality: THE NETHERLANDS Gender: Male Organization/ Religious order: Westerweel Groep Place during the war: Rotterdam, Zuidholland, The Netherlands Westerbork, Camp, The Netherlands Rescue Place: Rotterdam, Zuidholland, The Netherlands Westerbork, Camp, The Netherlands Rescue mode: Hiding Supplying basic goods Illegal transfer Arranging shelter Other File number: File from the Collection of the Righteous Among the Nations Department (M.31.2/67) Commemoration Date of Recognition: 16/06/1964 Righteous Commemorated with Tree/Wall of Honor: Tree Ceremony held in Yad Vashem: Yes Rescued Persons Siesel, Wahrhaftig, Lotti Rescue Story Smit, Jan Jan Smit first came into contact with Joop Westerweel* at a socialist forum in Rotterdam and found himself profoundly influenced by Joops ideas. He became a member of the Resistance network that later took the name the Westerweel group. In August 1942, Jan helped in the evacuation of the Pavilion Loosdrechtsche Rade in Loosdrecht, Utrecht, and secured addresses for the haverim in IJmuiden, North Holland. After this, Jan became an important member of the group, assisting in the escape effort through Belgium and France to Spain and maintaining contact with those placed in hiding. On six occasions, he accompanied small groups of haverim across the Dutch-Belgian border at Budel, North Brabant. He also tried to free Joop Westerweel from the Vught camp after Joop was arrested in March 1944. The effort was unsuccessful. Jan continuously maintained contact with the young people for whom he had found hiding places, including Lotte Wahrhaftig (later Siesel). For three years, he provided her and others with food coupons, brought news from other Hehalutz members in hiding and generally comforted them as much as he could. While he was on a mission to Westerbork, his friends (including Menachem Pinkhof and Mirjam Waterman) were arrested in the wake of another unsuccessful attempt at liberating Joop from Vught. The Gestapo failed, however, to capture Jan, who remained active in the underground until the end of the war. After the war, Jan arrived in Palestine on the Exodus together with Jewish refugees from Europe. He lived for a few years on a kibbutz before returning to Rotterdam, where he worked until his retirement. On June 16, 1964, Yad Vashem recognized Jan Smit as Righteous Among the Nations. |
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