Jacob Hermanus Berkhout

Geslacht: Man
Vader: Dirk Berkhout
Moeder: Johanna Wilhelmina Huijbens
Geboren: 12 Aug 1904 Culemborg
Overleden: 31 MEI 1945 Malchow, Duitsland
Beroep: electrotechnisch monteur
Religie: Ned. Hervormd, Rooms Katholiek
Aantekeningen: Berkhout Jacob
Personal Information
Last Name: Berkhout
First Name: Jacob
Rescuer's fate: camp inmate
imprisoned
murdered
Cause of Death: DROWNING
Nationality: THE NETHERLANDS
Gender: Male
Place during the war: Heijthuijsen, Limburg, The Netherlands
Vught, Camp, The Netherlands
Malchow, Waren (Schwerin), Mecklenburg, Germany
Rescue Place: Heijthuijsen, Limburg, The Netherlands
Rescue mode: Hiding
Arranging shelter
Other
File number: File from the Collection of the Righteous Among the Nations Department (M.31.2/4516)
Commemoration
Date of Recognition: 29/01/1990
Righteous Commemorated with Tree/Wall of Honor: Wall of Honor
Ceremony organized by Israeli diplomatic delegation in: The Hague, Netherlands
Ceremony held in Yad Vashem: Yes
Rescued Persons
Polak, Prijs, Keetje
Prijs, Simon
Prijs, Elisabeth
Rescue Story
Berkhout, Jacob H. & Johanna P. (van der Muysenberg)
Jacob and Johanna Berkhout afforded refuge to Keetje Prijs (later Polak-Prijs) in their home in Heythuizen, Limburg. Jacob helped transfer and deliver weapons for the Resistance. After a while, Jacob and Johanna also gave refuge to Keetje’s mother, Elisabeth Prijs, and Simon, her infant child. They placed Keetje’s brother Philip with Johanna’s mother and Keetje’s sister Klara on the Brouwer’s farm in a nearby village. Keetje, who posed as a guest from Amsterdam, could go out, but Elisabeth and Simon had to stay indoors, though Elisabeth was sometimes able to go into the garden after nightfall. Elisabeth and her two children spent over a year with the Berkhout family and were treated like members of the family throughout the entire period, never even paying for their food. Things were fine until the Germans told a traitor that he could secure the release of a friend from prison if he disclosed the addresses of five Jews in hiding. The Berkhouts’ home was soon searched and the Germans found baby Simon. Johanna told them that Simon was her son, but they noticed that he was circumcised and did not believe her. After a while they found Keetje and her mother behind a wall in the attic. Jacob and the three Jews were taken to the prison at Haarlemmerpoortstation in Amsterdam, then to the SS headquarters and to prison. The Prijs family was taken to Westerbork, from where they were deported to Bergen-Belsen. In the meantime, Jacob was taken to Vught, and from there to Malchov. In February, Jacob and a number of other prisoners were taken to Danzig, where they were put on a ship that was probably sunk on purpose in the Baltic Sea. After the war, Keetje and her mother kept in close contact with Johanna, who was left to bring up her three children alone. Although she went through some very difficult times, she never regretted the decisions she made during the war. Jacob’s name was engraved on a monument that stands on the Cauberg in Valkenburg, Limburg.
On January 29, 1990, Yad Vashem recognized Jacob Berghout and his wife, Johanna P. Berghout-van der Muysenberg, as Righteous Among the Nations.

Gezin 1

Huwelijkspartner: Johanna Petronella van den Muijsenberg geb. 23 Juni 1908
Huwelijk: 18 OKT 1934 Breda