Dirk Boon

Geslacht: Man
Vader: Johannes Boon
Moeder: Lena van Elk
Geboren: 21 Dec 1888 Schoonhoven
Overleden: 21 Aug 1974 Utrecht
Beroep: voorganger van de Moravische Broeders
Aantekeningen: Boon Dirk (1988 - 1974 )
Personal Information
Last Name: Boon
First Name: Dirk
Date of Birth: 21/12/1988
Date of death: 21/08/1974
Rescuer's fate: survived
Nationality: THE NETHERLANDS
Religion: CALVINIST
Gender: Male
Profession: REVEREND
DIRECTOR OF OLD AGE HOME
Place during the war: Amstelveen, Noordholland, The Netherlands
Rescue Place: Amstelveen, Noordholland, The Netherlands
Rescue mode: Hiding
Other
File number: File from the Collection of the Righteous Among the Nations Department (M.31.2/1155)
Commemoration
Date of Recognition: 22/10/1977
Righteous Commemorated with Tree/Wall of Honor: Tree
Ceremony organized by Israeli diplomatic delegation in: The Hague, Netherlands
Ceremony held in Yad Vashem: Yes
Rescued Persons
Mock, Goedhart, Betty
Schijveschuurder, Liffman, Clemi
Silversmit, Kitty
Rescue Story
Boon, Dirk & Jacoba Cornelia (Ketel)
In 1940, Reverend Dirk Boon was the director of the Vredeveld old age home in Amstelveen, North Holland, which had about 80 residents. When he and his wife, Jacoba, heard about the inhuman fate of the Jews that were apprehended during the razzias in Amsterdam, they became convinced that it was their duty to do something. They consequently employed a number of young Jews in Vredeveld, using false identities, slowly replacing the existing staff of about 25 people with Jews. The Boons also made a number of places available in the home to bring in older Jews, accepting them as residents under false identities. In September 1943 Dirk went to Amsterdam to pick up Clemi Liffman (later Schijveschuurder). Clemi was in her early twenties and was given several chores to do in the home. She was introduced to people as Ree van Hoorn, a Protestant girl from the east of Holland (because of her German accent) whose mother had passed away. On October 13, 1943, Betty Goedhart (later Mock) joined her at Vredeveld. She was to work in the kitchen with Kitty Silversmit. All together, the Boons hid 18 Jews in this way. The guard at the home knew the real identity of the new staff members but kept it a secret. Comments by members of the original staff revealed that they suspected that the newcomers were Jewish and people who expressed such thoughts were either dismissed or spoken to sternly by Dirk. In addition to hiding people, Dirk and Jacoba stored illegal weapons in their cellar that were used by members of the underground. Dirk was also an avid listener to BBC Radio---which was banned---and kept his charges informed about the war. He also constructed a special hideaway under the staircase for the fugitives to use when the SS searched the property, which happened several times. During one such search, Dirk personally escorted the intruders around the home, showing them all the public areas as well as the area under one of the staircases while his wards were hiding out under the stairs on an upper floor.
On October 22, 1977, Yad Vashem recognized Dirk Boon and his wife, Jacoba Cornelia Boon-Ketel, as Righteous Among the Nations.

Gezin 1

Huwelijkspartner: Annigje Barta Finnigje van den Heuvel geb. 1892 overl. 10 Jan 1918
Huwelijk: 2 MRT 1916 Utrecht

Gezin 2

Huwelijkspartner: Jacoba Cornelia Ketel geb. 14 Nov 1892 overl. 8 Apr 1981
Huwelijk: 24 Feb 1921 Utrecht