Cornelis Johannes Groen

Geslacht: Man
Vader: Jan Groen
Moeder: Maria Eliza van Waas
Geboren: 5 Jan 1897 Amsterdam
Religie: Rooms Katholiek
Beroep: rijwielhersteller
Aantekeningen: Last Name: Groen
First Name: Johannes Cornelis
Alias: Kees
Date of Birth: 04/01/1897
Date of death: 01/12/1970
Rescuer's fate: survived
Nationality: THE NETHERLANDS
Gender: Male
Profession: MECHANIC
Place during the war: Bussum, Noordholland, The Netherlands
Rescue Place: Bussum, Noordholland, The Netherlands
Rescue mode: Hiding
File number: File from the Collection of the Righteous Among the Nations Department (M.31.2/11895)
With the start of the deportations in 1942, the Jewish Bobbe family from the southern town of Eindhoven decided to look for hiding places instead of being forced to depart for “work in the East”. Through a family member living in Bussum (prov. North-Holland), they found a place for their then four-year-old son Selmon in the same town with Johannes (Kees) and Elisabeth (Bep) Groen, both in their forties, and their two grown children. Kees Groen was a mechanic; Bep took care of the home.
The Groens managed to have Selmon listed in their family booklet as one of their own children under the name Broer (brother). Selmon was indeed accepted by them as one of their own. Even so, he did not go to school for safety’s sake, but stayed at home. The Groens’ barber came to the house to cut his hair and so did the family physician. Selmon, however, did join the Groen family at church.
Sometimes Selmon was allowed to play around the house and one afternoon Selmon could not be found -- the Groens panicked. He returned home hours later, saying that one of the German soldiers had noticed him and taken a liking to him. The soldier had him ‘help’ open and close a barrier he was responsible for!
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Selmon stayed with the Groens close to three years until the liberation of the town in May 1945. During that time, he came to see the Groens as his real parents.
After the war, he learned that his real mother had perished, but that his father and younger sister had survived. Leaving the Groens was a very traumatic experience for Selmon as he had become very close to the Groen family.
In 1956, Selmon immigrated to Israel.
On July 28, 2010, Yad Vashem recognized Johannes Cornelis Groen and Elisabeth Groen-Kaiser as Righteous Among the Nations.

Gezin 1

Huwelijkspartner: Elisabeth Kaiser geb. 14 Dec 1896
Huwelijk: 7 Aug 1919 Amsterdam