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De crèche
Amsterdam, 1942-1943. Tegenover de Hollandsche Schouwburg bevindt zich de Joodse Crèche, door de Duitsers getransformeerd in een verzamelplaats voor Joodse kinderen voordat zij op transport gaan. Samen met de andere Joodse kinderverzorgsters van de crèche bekommert de zeventienjarige Betty Oudkerk zich om het lot van de kinderen, terwijl het leven voor Joden buiten de crèche steeds beangstigender wordt. In het diepste geheim weten ze onder leiding van Henriëtte Pimentel, de directrice van de crèche, ruim zeshonderd kinderen van deportatie te redden, ongeacht de risico's die dat met zich meebrengt.
De crèche is het verzetsverhaal van jonge vrouwen die in wrede omstandigheden moeten beslissen over leven en dood. Moedige vrouwen met een vurige hoop voor de toekomst - want wie een kind redt, redt de wereld.
De crèche is het verzetsverhaal van jonge vrouwen die in wrede omstandigheden moeten beslissen over leven en dood. Moedige vrouwen met een vurige hoop voor de toekomst - want wie een kind redt, redt de wereld.
344 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2020
824 people are currently reading
4104 people want to read
About the author
Elle van Rijn
23 books19 followersElle van Rijn is a Dutch actress, screenwriter of series and films, and author of columns, although her greatest passion lies with writing novels.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 206 reviews
March 1, 2021
In 1943 worden veel Joden via razzia's en verraad bijeengebracht in de Hollandse Schouwburg in Amsterdam om op transport te gaan. Tegenover deze schouwburg is een Joodse crèche waar veel van de baby's en peuters van de overkant zolang worden verzorgd. De directrice van de crèche, Henriette Pimentel, zorgt ervoor dat zo'n 600 van deze kinderen 'verdwijnen' naar een onderduikadres.
Het verhaal dat wordt verteld is een bijzonder stukje Tweede Wereldoorlog geschiedenis.
De manier waarop het verhaal wordt verteld is niet de mijne, ik vind het bakvissen-achtig. Als dit met opzet zo is gecreëerd om de naïviteit en de manier van praten van die tijd te benadrukken is het briljant. Hetzelfde geldt voor de hoofdpersoon, zij is als 19/20-jarige neergezet als naïef, betweterig, irritant en egoïstisch. Ik heb naar mijn weten niet eerder iets van Elle van Rijn gelezen dus ik ken haar schrijfstijl niet. Het boek is beslist de moeite waard om te lezen om uit te vinden hoe die verdwijningen in hun werk gingen.
In 1943, many Jews were brought together by raids and betrayal in the Hollandse Schouwburg in Amsterdam to be deported. Opposite this theatre is a Jewish crèche where many of the babies and toddlers from across the street are being looked after for the time being. The director of the crèche, Henriette Pimentel, ensures that about 600 of these children 'disappear' to a hiding place.
The story told is a special piece of World War II history.
The way the story is told isn't mine, I think it's very teenage girl-ish. If this was purposely created to emphasize the naiveté and speech of the time, it is brilliant. The same goes for the main character, as a 19/20 year old she has been portrayed as naive, know-it-all, annoying and selfish. To my knowledge I have never read anything by Elle van Rijn before, so I don't know her writing style. The book is definitely worth reading to find out how all these nurses in the crèche worked together to make these children 'disappear' without anyone finding out.
Het verhaal dat wordt verteld is een bijzonder stukje Tweede Wereldoorlog geschiedenis.
De manier waarop het verhaal wordt verteld is niet de mijne, ik vind het bakvissen-achtig. Als dit met opzet zo is gecreëerd om de naïviteit en de manier van praten van die tijd te benadrukken is het briljant. Hetzelfde geldt voor de hoofdpersoon, zij is als 19/20-jarige neergezet als naïef, betweterig, irritant en egoïstisch. Ik heb naar mijn weten niet eerder iets van Elle van Rijn gelezen dus ik ken haar schrijfstijl niet. Het boek is beslist de moeite waard om te lezen om uit te vinden hoe die verdwijningen in hun werk gingen.
In 1943, many Jews were brought together by raids and betrayal in the Hollandse Schouwburg in Amsterdam to be deported. Opposite this theatre is a Jewish crèche where many of the babies and toddlers from across the street are being looked after for the time being. The director of the crèche, Henriette Pimentel, ensures that about 600 of these children 'disappear' to a hiding place.
The story told is a special piece of World War II history.
The way the story is told isn't mine, I think it's very teenage girl-ish. If this was purposely created to emphasize the naiveté and speech of the time, it is brilliant. The same goes for the main character, as a 19/20 year old she has been portrayed as naive, know-it-all, annoying and selfish. To my knowledge I have never read anything by Elle van Rijn before, so I don't know her writing style. The book is definitely worth reading to find out how all these nurses in the crèche worked together to make these children 'disappear' without anyone finding out.
July 7, 2021
Respect voor de mensen die hun leven hebben gewaagd om de kinderen te redden. Goed dat er nog mensen waren die de moed hebben gehad om tegen de Duitsers in te gaan.
Goed boek was lang geleden dat ik nog iets had gelezen over de oorlog maar het pakte me meteen en vooral in het tweede deel van het boek zeer spannend.Als je graag dit genre leest is het echt een aanrader.
Goed boek was lang geleden dat ik nog iets had gelezen over de oorlog maar het pakte me meteen en vooral in het tweede deel van het boek zeer spannend.Als je graag dit genre leest is het echt een aanrader.
February 10, 2021
‘De crèche’ is meeslepend en in de tweede helft erg spannend. De kans om gesnapt te worden werd namelijk steeds groter. Overal heerste wantrouwen en beloftes van vroeger, waren duidelijk geen beloftes meer als het water aan de lippen stond bij mensen. Elle van Rijn laat de lezer de wanhoop van de situatie goed voelen, maar schetst ook een beeld van moed en verzet. Je gunt tijdens het lezen Betty een goede afloop en je gunt de kindjes uit het verhaal een toekomst.
Lees verder op mijn blog :)
Lees verder op mijn blog :)
June 24, 2022
Betty Oudkerk does everything she possibly can to protect children from the Nazis during the dark days of World War II. This tragic read is set in the Netherlands. After a nursery has been taken over by the Nazis, the nursery has been turned into a deportation center. Not only does Betty begin hiding children, a network of sorts is formed as she and other nurses do all they can to save these young lives. This book is based on a true story, a story that illustrates the exceptional feat of bravery by the remarkable Betty.
Knowing that the nursery is only one stop along the way, with the final destination being Auschwitz, assuring certain destruction, Betty and others form an underground network to save as many young lives as possible. From nursery teacher to savior, Betty does all she can. With certain death a fair guarantee otherwise, Betty and the other nurses work feverishly hard in their endeavors.
Based on a true story, a vast plan is set in motion and Betty and the others relentlessly work together with a mix of ingenuity and strength, and facilitate rescue after rescue. Often heartbreaking, this is a story that needs to be told. Sadly, pivotal people in history are often forgotten and a book like this helps to bring them the attention they deserve.
This heartbreaking book illustrates the amazing talent that Elle van Rijn has when it comes to relating such an incredible story. This book proves what must’ve been an astonishing amount of research to make this such a readable account, one that will no doubt have you reaching for a box of tissues. In fact, in the letter at the end of the book not only there is something special to be found about what the author’s experiences were, she also states that “this story is about courage, about hatred and about exclusion”. We all can make a choice to do better like Betty did, and by writing this book, our fabulous author tells a story about decisions and choices that make us stronger and help us to protect our children.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
Knowing that the nursery is only one stop along the way, with the final destination being Auschwitz, assuring certain destruction, Betty and others form an underground network to save as many young lives as possible. From nursery teacher to savior, Betty does all she can. With certain death a fair guarantee otherwise, Betty and the other nurses work feverishly hard in their endeavors.
Based on a true story, a vast plan is set in motion and Betty and the others relentlessly work together with a mix of ingenuity and strength, and facilitate rescue after rescue. Often heartbreaking, this is a story that needs to be told. Sadly, pivotal people in history are often forgotten and a book like this helps to bring them the attention they deserve.
This heartbreaking book illustrates the amazing talent that Elle van Rijn has when it comes to relating such an incredible story. This book proves what must’ve been an astonishing amount of research to make this such a readable account, one that will no doubt have you reaching for a box of tissues. In fact, in the letter at the end of the book not only there is something special to be found about what the author’s experiences were, she also states that “this story is about courage, about hatred and about exclusion”. We all can make a choice to do better like Betty did, and by writing this book, our fabulous author tells a story about decisions and choices that make us stronger and help us to protect our children.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
June 17, 2022
Heartbreaking
November 11, 2023
When I read a book like this, I’m always amazed at the selflessness of people who put themselves in harm’s way to save others. In this case, it was a group comprised mainly of young women, who were determined to prevent the deportation of children to concentration camps. These brave people did all that they could to find homes for these little ones, many of whom were tiny babies and toddlers, before they could be deported. Unfortunately, their efforts were sometimes in vain, and the Nazis hauled them off anyway. Hundreds of children were spared, however; in the author’s notes it is mentioned that some of the children actually met again with their saviors as grown-ups, decades later.
*Personal note: In five days I will be traveling to Amsterdam with my husband. The Jewish theater referred to in this book, where so many people were held before deportation, is on my list of things to see.*
*Personal note: In five days I will be traveling to Amsterdam with my husband. The Jewish theater referred to in this book, where so many people were held before deportation, is on my list of things to see.*
July 30, 2021
"Was het de haat die mij de kracht gaf om door te gaan? Of was het de liefde voor de kinderen waardoor ik me onaantastbaar waande?"
Het waargebeurde verhaal van Betty Oudkerk (Betty Goudsmit-Oudkerk), die samen met andere kinderverzorgsters van de Joodse Crèche ruim zeshonderd kinderen redde.
Gemakkelijk geschreven door Elle van Rijn en dus ook makkelijk te lezen. Prettige en meeslepende schrijfstijl. Het mooie vind ik dat Betty echt in dit verhaal verwerkt is en dat Elle van Rijn haar zelf heeft gesproken. Een mooi nawoord waarin de auteur meer schrijft over haar onderzoek naar dit verhaal.
Betty legde in 2019 een krans in 2019 tijdens de Nationale Dodenherdenking. 'Nu kan ik het eindelijk achter me laten'. Moet je nagaan wat deze tijd met mensen heeft gedaan, de schuldigheid die ze voelden omdat ze de meerderheid van de kinderen niet kon redden.
Voor lezers van dit verhaal zou ik ook het boek Noem geen namen van Astrid Sy aanraden. Hetzelfde onderwerp, maar uitgebreider belicht en beschreven. De crèche speelt zich af in de crèche zelf en hoewel het in dit verhaal logisch is, weten we niet over hoe de kindersmokkel buiten de crèche verliep. In Noem geen namen wordt dit wel beschreven, ook n.a.v. onderzoek. Persoonlijk vind ik dat in Noem geen namen meer historie is verwerkt, waardoor het nog realistischer is geworden. Dat kan natuurlijk aan mij liggen.
Ik weet wel dat ik deze buurt nu daadwerkelijk een keer wil bezoeken na het lezen van deze twee goede boeken. Dit mag niet vergeten worden.
Het waargebeurde verhaal van Betty Oudkerk (Betty Goudsmit-Oudkerk), die samen met andere kinderverzorgsters van de Joodse Crèche ruim zeshonderd kinderen redde.
Gemakkelijk geschreven door Elle van Rijn en dus ook makkelijk te lezen. Prettige en meeslepende schrijfstijl. Het mooie vind ik dat Betty echt in dit verhaal verwerkt is en dat Elle van Rijn haar zelf heeft gesproken. Een mooi nawoord waarin de auteur meer schrijft over haar onderzoek naar dit verhaal.
Betty legde in 2019 een krans in 2019 tijdens de Nationale Dodenherdenking. 'Nu kan ik het eindelijk achter me laten'. Moet je nagaan wat deze tijd met mensen heeft gedaan, de schuldigheid die ze voelden omdat ze de meerderheid van de kinderen niet kon redden.
Voor lezers van dit verhaal zou ik ook het boek Noem geen namen van Astrid Sy aanraden. Hetzelfde onderwerp, maar uitgebreider belicht en beschreven. De crèche speelt zich af in de crèche zelf en hoewel het in dit verhaal logisch is, weten we niet over hoe de kindersmokkel buiten de crèche verliep. In Noem geen namen wordt dit wel beschreven, ook n.a.v. onderzoek. Persoonlijk vind ik dat in Noem geen namen meer historie is verwerkt, waardoor het nog realistischer is geworden. Dat kan natuurlijk aan mij liggen.
Ik weet wel dat ik deze buurt nu daadwerkelijk een keer wil bezoeken na het lezen van deze twee goede boeken. Dit mag niet vergeten worden.
June 12, 2022
A WWII true story that needed to be told! Though I know what the Holocaust was about and do not need to read what happened in the concentration camps, this novel focused on the people who gave their life (literally or not) in order to help hide and save an oppressed community (here children). I learned a lot about those times in the Netherlands! The author gives at the end of the book details of the main characters who survived (or not), and about their lives after the war ended. A great story!
I received a complimentary ARC of this novel from NetGalley and I am leaving voluntarily a review.
I received a complimentary ARC of this novel from NetGalley and I am leaving voluntarily a review.
June 25, 2022
Zo, die is uit en ben even bijgekomen. Wederom een heftig maar mooi verhaal over De Crèche en het is niet het eerste dat ik heb gelezen. Dat maakt meteen wel dat ik het vergelijk en laat ik daar dan maar mee beginnen. Eerder dit jaar heb ik Noem Geen Namen gelezen van Astrid Sy en dat boek wordt aangemerkt als Young Adult. Toch vond ik dit boek meer voor de jeugd dan Noem Geen Namen. Niet dat dit veel uit maakt, want het is voor beide boeken duidelijk dat ze gelezen verdienen te worden. Toch is met name de eerste helft op een bepaalde manier geschreven dat het zelfs voor de oudere basisschoolleerling begrijpelijk is. Betty Oudkerk komt over als een recalcitrante puber en dat speelt in het eerste deel parten in het boek. Het is soms irritant en in bepaalde situaties ongeloofwaardig. Maar naar mate het boek vordert groeit Betty op en leef je toch wel verschrikkelijk met haar mee. Bij vlagen had ik wat moeite met de eigenschappen die bestaande personages toegedicht zijn en met name met de directrice vond ik dat lastig, want hoe dicht ligt het bij de waarheid? Toch heeft Elle van Rijn goed research gedaan en dat heeft haar boek absoluut goed gedaan. Uiteindelijk is het een erg indrukwekkend verhaal dat je niet onberoerd laat en is het sterk neergezet. De eerste helft zou ik 3 sterren geven, de tweede helft ruim 4, dus ik maak er 4 in totaal van. Welk boek je ook leest, het onderwerp De Crèche verdient het echt om gekend te worden.
January 13, 2022
Una storia disperata e meravigliosa piena di dolore e amore che mi ha tenuta incollata alle pagine con il cuore in gola. La storia vera che ci viene raccontata è quella dell’asilo di Amsterdam, in piena occupazione nazista. A questo proposito ho trovato davvero interessante la spiegazione finale dell’autrice, il suo incontro con la protagonista del libro, le sue ricerche. Questo capitolo di storia, seppure mi faccia soffrire parecchio, mi attrae e libro come questo dovrebbero essere letti davvero da tutti.
Betty è una vera e proprio eroina e farà tutto quello che può e anche di più per mettere in salvo più bambini possibili. Ma non solo lei, anche tutte le altre maestre, capitanate da una immensa direttrice.
Il punto di vista dei bambini, la loro speranza che non muore mai rende un po’ di luce ad un periodo di estremo buio e ci fa capire quanto la speranza non debba mai andare persa.
Un libro davvero forte che non posso che consigliare.
Betty è una vera e proprio eroina e farà tutto quello che può e anche di più per mettere in salvo più bambini possibili. Ma non solo lei, anche tutte le altre maestre, capitanate da una immensa direttrice.
Il punto di vista dei bambini, la loro speranza che non muore mai rende un po’ di luce ad un periodo di estremo buio e ci fa capire quanto la speranza non debba mai andare persa.
Un libro davvero forte che non posso che consigliare.
July 14, 2022
Oh my! This was such a heartwrenching story that needed to be told. Though I’ve read another book about the Nazi’s using Nursery schools for deportation to not only get Jewish children but their parents too. This story is based on true events and the majority of the characters are and were real people.
This story is so heartbreakingly and beautifully written that I believe this should be a MUST read for those that love WWII historical fiction. I still marvel and the true depths of cruelty some people could have towards children and the bravery of those that tried to save as many as they could. At the end of this book you actually find out what happened to those that were written about. Those that survived and those that did not.
I can’t thank #netgalley and #bookouture for allowing me to read the eARC of this book. All opinions expressed above are my own.
This story is so heartbreakingly and beautifully written that I believe this should be a MUST read for those that love WWII historical fiction. I still marvel and the true depths of cruelty some people could have towards children and the bravery of those that tried to save as many as they could. At the end of this book you actually find out what happened to those that were written about. Those that survived and those that did not.
I can’t thank #netgalley and #bookouture for allowing me to read the eARC of this book. All opinions expressed above are my own.
July 6, 2022
Betty, did all she could to protect the children during the take over of Amsterdam in 1941. The Nazis were rounding the children up to deport them Betty was a nursery teacher, who worked in the nursery. Betty and other nurses worked so hard hiding the children when they were come for. Written as fiction but the author, Elle van Rijn did much research and many events and people were real. The underground network had so much courage trying to help the children. This book had much history for that time period and is heartbreaking.
I was given an ARC from NetGalley and Bookouture. Thank
You!
I was given an ARC from NetGalley and Bookouture. Thank
You!
July 8, 2022
My Musings
What a great story! The writing is emotional, the characters are complex, and the plot is riveting. I love well written stories based on living characters and events. I am so glad I found this one in Kindle Unlimited. Happy reading!
What a great story! The writing is emotional, the characters are complex, and the plot is riveting. I love well written stories based on living characters and events. I am so glad I found this one in Kindle Unlimited. Happy reading!
February 25, 2021
Indrukwekkend boek. Echt een aanrader om dit boek te lezen. Weer even met de neus op de feiten gedrukt waardoor je weer beseft dat we dankbaar mogen zijn over hoe we nu kunnen leven.
January 25, 2025
Mooi en spannend boek. Interessant om eens de andere kant te lezen dan het verhaal dat vanuit Süskind wordt verteld. Dit gedeelte was voor mij nog minder bekend. Zeker een aanrader.
December 27, 2021
Wat een boek. Uit! Het let mij niet los en toen ik vanochtend vroeg wakker werd moest ik door. Wat een helden! CA. 600 kinderen weggesmokkeld uit de Amsterdamse Crèche. Heftig. Het is onwaarschijijk dat zoveel mensen meewerkten aan het doden van miljoenen mensen. Alle helden die met gevaar voor eigen leven mensen hebben gered. Betty Goudsmit, Henriette Pimentel, Walter Suskind en vele anderen krijgen door dit boek weer een gezicht. Dit mag nooit vergeten worden.
#bettygoudsmit
#henriettepimentel
#decrèche
#samenlezenisleuker
#ikleesthuis
#2ewereldoorlog
#bettygoudsmit
#henriettepimentel
#decrèche
#samenlezenisleuker
#ikleesthuis
#2ewereldoorlog
March 22, 2022
Wat een verhaal! Wat een schrijfstijl! Applaus! Elke bladzijde benieuwd naar wat het vervolg zou zijn. Aangeraden door een leesvriendin.
September 18, 2025
Na het kijken van de TV serie “De Joodse Raad” was ik heel nieuwsgierig geworden naar deze op waarheid gebaseerde roman. Ik verwachtte dat het puur over de crèche zou gaan waaruit Joodse kinderen werden weggesmokkeld naar onderduikadressen, maar het verhaal in dit boek is veel breder. Aanvankelijk voelde het wat afstandelijk geschreven, maar gaandeweg ging het leven.
We volgen Betty Oudkerk, een Joodse Amsterdamse meid van 17 jaar, die werkt in de crèche tegenover de schouwburg. De gewone crèche verandert in de oorlog al snel in een tussenstation voor kinderen die gedeporteerd zullen worden. Ook op andere plekken in de stad verandert er veel onder de Duitse bezetting. Ondertussen gaat het “gewone” leven ook een beetje door. Betty is de volwassenwereld nog half aan het ontdekken, heeft afspraakjes met jongens en moet omgaan met een depressieve moeder.
Het verhaal is heftig, boeiend en verdrietig. Maar het verhaal bestond natuurlijk al, het is immers grotendeels waargebeurde geschiedenis. Wat de auteur ermee heeft gedaan vond ik goed, maar niet overdonderend. Ik miste vooral een beetje de emotie in het innerlijke leven van Betty.
Ik kom uit op een beoordeling van rond de 3.75
We volgen Betty Oudkerk, een Joodse Amsterdamse meid van 17 jaar, die werkt in de crèche tegenover de schouwburg. De gewone crèche verandert in de oorlog al snel in een tussenstation voor kinderen die gedeporteerd zullen worden. Ook op andere plekken in de stad verandert er veel onder de Duitse bezetting. Ondertussen gaat het “gewone” leven ook een beetje door. Betty is de volwassenwereld nog half aan het ontdekken, heeft afspraakjes met jongens en moet omgaan met een depressieve moeder.
Het verhaal is heftig, boeiend en verdrietig. Maar het verhaal bestond natuurlijk al, het is immers grotendeels waargebeurde geschiedenis. Wat de auteur ermee heeft gedaan vond ik goed, maar niet overdonderend. Ik miste vooral een beetje de emotie in het innerlijke leven van Betty.
Ik kom uit op een beoordeling van rond de 3.75
May 5, 2024
Kan niet anders dan dit boek 5 sterren geven. Mooi boek over doorzettingsvermogen, vriendschap en hoop ondanks alles in een verschrikkelijke tijd.
January 12, 2025
Erg mooie non-fictie over een Joodse verzetsvrouw die heel veel levens gered heeft. Erg aan te raden!!
July 6, 2022
The Orphans of Amsterdam by Elle Van Rijn is an emotional story full of heartbreak, courage, bravery and extraordinary resilience at a time when all hope was lost for so many innocent people. Set in Amsterdam it tells the story of Betty, who comes from a Jewish family, who until now have been well off running a fabric business but times are changing thanks to the rise of Hitler. Betty lives with her mother, sister, three brothers and her grandmother and her former housekeeper Engel.
Straight away I’ll say, despite the tough subject matter, that Betty’s grandmother and Engel were like a comedy duo who offered some laugh-out-loud moments throughout. I don’t know was it meant to come across like this but it offered some light relief when things got very tough for the family and Betty. Aside from these moments, this book was a real eye opener as it was based on a true story. I’ve not read many books set in Holland during World War Two but it was definitely a story that needed to be told. We all know lots about what happened in other countries at this time and of the horrific camps etc but I knew nothing at all about the brave group of nursery teachers and the resistance network who put their lives on the line to save as many innocent children as possible.
The Germans have occupied Amsterdam and it has come to the point where it is hard to know whether someone is good or crooked, but Betty will soon learn that people will give others away if it means saving their own skin. I felt the themes and background to the story were very well introduced and I loved how at the beginning of each chapter there was a brief paragraph or two which informed the reader what was going with relation to the Jewish community and the war. Details of new laws and sanctions were mentioned and how they were being rounded up and being sent to camps. This tool of informing the reader at the beginning of a chapter was very effective as it then allowed the chapter to focus on Betty and the nursery and you could see how the actions of the nurses and the director fitted in with what was going on all around them.
Initially, Betty had an air of innocence surrounding her in that when she was offered a position on a training programme for nursery nurses at a nursery founded by the Infants Institution and Children’s Homes Association, she viewed it as just another regular job where she could interact, play with and care for children. The nursery takes in Jewish children whose parents have to work during the day but soon that all changes as it becomes a hub for transportation and here is where the innocence of Betty vanishes and the reader really sees her start to grow up and become fully aware of what is going on around her. She becomes part of a much bigger operation where in the face of so much hatred and lack of moral purity there are a few who are willing to do what is right and fight against the tide of evil which is rising rapidly. The laws regarding Jews constantly change and soon their lives are irreparably altered. To wear the yellow star on your clothing means you are marked and danger lurks around every corner. The Jewish community is branded and excluded but thanks to Betty’s job she is able to continue her work and is not targeted. The same cannot be said for the remainder of her family except for her sister who works in a local hospital. Betty finds herself treading a very dangerous path but the admiration the reader develops for her just grows and grows with every turn of the page.
At times as a reader when you read so much World War Two historical fiction you feel you may start to become hardened to some of the events and details and that should never be the case but admittedly for me on occasion this does happen. But with this story, my eyes were reopened as to just how much suffering went on and in this case with the specific focus being on children it really does pack an emotional and gut-wrenching punch. Pimentel is the director of the nursery and she come across as being firm but fair. She can see that Betty has great potential and is becoming deeply invested in the children in her care but that there is also a recklessness about Betty. She says what she feels without thinking of the consequences and I felt at times Pimentel almost had to give her a rap on the knuckles and rein her in a bit because she wanted her to be more heedful as she knew Betty could potentially play a very important role. This role does come to light around the halfway point of the story and here is where things really ramped up with tension, unease, mistrust and fear waiting around every corner.
Across from the nursery is a theatre where the Jew,s both young and old, are brought to once they have been rounded up. Here is where they wait until they are then transported to a camp. They are made to believe that camp conditions are good and that they are just being placed there for their own safety and they will eventually be able to return home. But Betty and the women at the nursery know this is not the case and with the aid of some members of the Jewish council and also a resistance network that has sprung up they do their best to hide as many children as possible and then they can be brought to a safe place. The descriptions of the conditions in the theatre were truly horrifying. That first time when Betty is sent there to bring over the children to the nursery where they stay until they reunite with their parents for transportation, well the images still have not left my mind. The desperation, anger and fear felt by those incarcerated was real and the living conditions were beyond appalling. No section of Jewish society was spared from being rounded up and my heart broke at those who couldn’t look after themselves and who had no notion of what fate was about to befall them.
Initially, there is an unpredictability and randomness as to who is sent to the camps but really no one is spared and Betty feels this when her family are taken. I think if her family had remained safe in the apartment above the family shop which had been taken from them then Betty wouldn’t have the guts to participate in the scheme to hide as many children as possible. But knowing her family had been so affected she concluded what she was doing was right and so very just. Betty and her colleagues show us that through joining forces we are made stronger and in doing so they protected so many children. In an end note it mentions that over 600 children at the nursery were saved which was remarkable. I loved uncovering all the little details that were put into play to make their ‘missions’ as successful as possible and my heart was in my mouth several times over as I was sure they were going to be discovered.
The Orphans of Amsterdam is an important and remarkable read. If I had not read it the true story of so many fearless women and men, I would have continued on in ignorant bliss. Instead, I have a newfound appreciation for what so many people did during the war and it makes you think how would you have reacted if you found yourself in the same situation? I found the first half of the book to be quite conversational in the writing style as it just detailed things seemingly one after the other. It became grittier in the second half which I felt it needed to be. I did find the ending to be quite abrupt and I wanted and needed more answers but then I found the end notes from the author and I was glad to see things explained and followed up in more detail. This book is worth a read as it taught me many things and despite the heavy nature of the topic the author shone a light on so many heroes whose story needed to be brought out into the forefront of many readers hearts and minds.
Straight away I’ll say, despite the tough subject matter, that Betty’s grandmother and Engel were like a comedy duo who offered some laugh-out-loud moments throughout. I don’t know was it meant to come across like this but it offered some light relief when things got very tough for the family and Betty. Aside from these moments, this book was a real eye opener as it was based on a true story. I’ve not read many books set in Holland during World War Two but it was definitely a story that needed to be told. We all know lots about what happened in other countries at this time and of the horrific camps etc but I knew nothing at all about the brave group of nursery teachers and the resistance network who put their lives on the line to save as many innocent children as possible.
The Germans have occupied Amsterdam and it has come to the point where it is hard to know whether someone is good or crooked, but Betty will soon learn that people will give others away if it means saving their own skin. I felt the themes and background to the story were very well introduced and I loved how at the beginning of each chapter there was a brief paragraph or two which informed the reader what was going with relation to the Jewish community and the war. Details of new laws and sanctions were mentioned and how they were being rounded up and being sent to camps. This tool of informing the reader at the beginning of a chapter was very effective as it then allowed the chapter to focus on Betty and the nursery and you could see how the actions of the nurses and the director fitted in with what was going on all around them.
Initially, Betty had an air of innocence surrounding her in that when she was offered a position on a training programme for nursery nurses at a nursery founded by the Infants Institution and Children’s Homes Association, she viewed it as just another regular job where she could interact, play with and care for children. The nursery takes in Jewish children whose parents have to work during the day but soon that all changes as it becomes a hub for transportation and here is where the innocence of Betty vanishes and the reader really sees her start to grow up and become fully aware of what is going on around her. She becomes part of a much bigger operation where in the face of so much hatred and lack of moral purity there are a few who are willing to do what is right and fight against the tide of evil which is rising rapidly. The laws regarding Jews constantly change and soon their lives are irreparably altered. To wear the yellow star on your clothing means you are marked and danger lurks around every corner. The Jewish community is branded and excluded but thanks to Betty’s job she is able to continue her work and is not targeted. The same cannot be said for the remainder of her family except for her sister who works in a local hospital. Betty finds herself treading a very dangerous path but the admiration the reader develops for her just grows and grows with every turn of the page.
At times as a reader when you read so much World War Two historical fiction you feel you may start to become hardened to some of the events and details and that should never be the case but admittedly for me on occasion this does happen. But with this story, my eyes were reopened as to just how much suffering went on and in this case with the specific focus being on children it really does pack an emotional and gut-wrenching punch. Pimentel is the director of the nursery and she come across as being firm but fair. She can see that Betty has great potential and is becoming deeply invested in the children in her care but that there is also a recklessness about Betty. She says what she feels without thinking of the consequences and I felt at times Pimentel almost had to give her a rap on the knuckles and rein her in a bit because she wanted her to be more heedful as she knew Betty could potentially play a very important role. This role does come to light around the halfway point of the story and here is where things really ramped up with tension, unease, mistrust and fear waiting around every corner.
Across from the nursery is a theatre where the Jew,s both young and old, are brought to once they have been rounded up. Here is where they wait until they are then transported to a camp. They are made to believe that camp conditions are good and that they are just being placed there for their own safety and they will eventually be able to return home. But Betty and the women at the nursery know this is not the case and with the aid of some members of the Jewish council and also a resistance network that has sprung up they do their best to hide as many children as possible and then they can be brought to a safe place. The descriptions of the conditions in the theatre were truly horrifying. That first time when Betty is sent there to bring over the children to the nursery where they stay until they reunite with their parents for transportation, well the images still have not left my mind. The desperation, anger and fear felt by those incarcerated was real and the living conditions were beyond appalling. No section of Jewish society was spared from being rounded up and my heart broke at those who couldn’t look after themselves and who had no notion of what fate was about to befall them.
Initially, there is an unpredictability and randomness as to who is sent to the camps but really no one is spared and Betty feels this when her family are taken. I think if her family had remained safe in the apartment above the family shop which had been taken from them then Betty wouldn’t have the guts to participate in the scheme to hide as many children as possible. But knowing her family had been so affected she concluded what she was doing was right and so very just. Betty and her colleagues show us that through joining forces we are made stronger and in doing so they protected so many children. In an end note it mentions that over 600 children at the nursery were saved which was remarkable. I loved uncovering all the little details that were put into play to make their ‘missions’ as successful as possible and my heart was in my mouth several times over as I was sure they were going to be discovered.
The Orphans of Amsterdam is an important and remarkable read. If I had not read it the true story of so many fearless women and men, I would have continued on in ignorant bliss. Instead, I have a newfound appreciation for what so many people did during the war and it makes you think how would you have reacted if you found yourself in the same situation? I found the first half of the book to be quite conversational in the writing style as it just detailed things seemingly one after the other. It became grittier in the second half which I felt it needed to be. I did find the ending to be quite abrupt and I wanted and needed more answers but then I found the end notes from the author and I was glad to see things explained and followed up in more detail. This book is worth a read as it taught me many things and despite the heavy nature of the topic the author shone a light on so many heroes whose story needed to be brought out into the forefront of many readers hearts and minds.
January 28, 2024
Wat een mooi boek over een waargebeurd verhaal waar mensen hun leven op het spel zetten om andere te redden. Het boek heeft me dan ook op een bepaalde manier geraakt! En ik raad het iedereen aan om dit boek te lezen, ik was er niet vanaf te slaan.
Het was even geleden dat ik een historische roman had gelezen, maar door dit boek is mijn liefde voor historische romans weer terug gekeerd!!
Het was even geleden dat ik een historische roman had gelezen, maar door dit boek is mijn liefde voor historische romans weer terug gekeerd!!
June 27, 2025
Dit boek moest ik nog een keer lezen, uiteindelijk door em en mama geïnspireerd. Leest heel makkelijk. Ik kende het verhaal al door het holocaustmuseum, maar zo werd in er nog eens op een andere manier doorheen gevoerd. Blijft onvoorstelbaar dat deze ellende pas 80 jaar geleden voorbij was! Nu meteen door met t Hooge Nest
May 2, 2023
Erg van onder de indruk.
October 8, 2024
Prachtig en indrukwekkend eerbetoon aan al die dappere zusters van de Joodse crèche.
August 19, 2022
Elle van Rijn traz-nos “A creche judaica”, uma história de resistência passada em Amesterdão, entre 1942 e 1943. Com os seus filhos empurrados para esta creche pelos nazis, judeus de toda a cidade deixam-nos na esperança de sobreviverem mais um dia.
De janela aberta para Hollandsche Schouwburg, o teatro usado, desde 20 de julho de 1942, pelos nazis como centro de deportação de judeus para os campos de concentração, a Creche Judaica era testemunha dos primeiros momentos do fim… Através de Betty Oudkerk e de outras jovens que aí trabalham e da diretora Henriette Pimentel, assiste-se ao definhar de milhares de pessoas… Sendo a última esperança salvar as suas crianças. Assim se tece a rede de salvamento de mais de 600 crianças - utilizando as formas mais inventivas possíveis - permitindo a existência de um futuro!
“A creche judaica”, inspirada em factos reais, mostra-nos que vale a pena ter esperança na Humanidade, mesmo nos seus tempos mais escuros. Mesmo sendo uma história mais centrada nas jovens que trabalhavam na creche sem grandes pistas sobre a vida destas crianças no pós-guerra (fica aquele sabor agridoce de querermos saber mais…), este não deixa de ser um livro que vale a pena ler. Traz uma história de resistência contra os nazis, no feminino , mostrando o quanto as mulheres arriscaram durante a guerra. Um livro não demasiado pesado e que pode ser uma boa sugestão de leitura para quem queira incluir mais livros sobre a Segunda Guerra Mundial nas suas escolhas de leitura. Este é o livro que se esconde do “outro lado do espelho” do livro “A rapariga do casaco azul” de Monica Hess, um young adult cuja parte da ação se centra no Hollandsche Schouwburg e em que há uma breve menção a esta mesma creche judaica. Fica a sugestão!
Mais sobre esta opinião em https://www.instagram.com/p/CgTe8YXMzW5/
De janela aberta para Hollandsche Schouwburg, o teatro usado, desde 20 de julho de 1942, pelos nazis como centro de deportação de judeus para os campos de concentração, a Creche Judaica era testemunha dos primeiros momentos do fim… Através de Betty Oudkerk e de outras jovens que aí trabalham e da diretora Henriette Pimentel, assiste-se ao definhar de milhares de pessoas… Sendo a última esperança salvar as suas crianças. Assim se tece a rede de salvamento de mais de 600 crianças - utilizando as formas mais inventivas possíveis - permitindo a existência de um futuro!
“A creche judaica”, inspirada em factos reais, mostra-nos que vale a pena ter esperança na Humanidade, mesmo nos seus tempos mais escuros. Mesmo sendo uma história mais centrada nas jovens que trabalhavam na creche sem grandes pistas sobre a vida destas crianças no pós-guerra (fica aquele sabor agridoce de querermos saber mais…), este não deixa de ser um livro que vale a pena ler. Traz uma história de resistência contra os nazis, no feminino , mostrando o quanto as mulheres arriscaram durante a guerra. Um livro não demasiado pesado e que pode ser uma boa sugestão de leitura para quem queira incluir mais livros sobre a Segunda Guerra Mundial nas suas escolhas de leitura. Este é o livro que se esconde do “outro lado do espelho” do livro “A rapariga do casaco azul” de Monica Hess, um young adult cuja parte da ação se centra no Hollandsche Schouwburg e em que há uma breve menção a esta mesma creche judaica. Fica a sugestão!
Mais sobre esta opinião em https://www.instagram.com/p/CgTe8YXMzW5/
December 6, 2020
Prachtig en intens geschreven. Ik denk een ware ode aan de betrokkenen. Voor blz 40 liepen de tranen al over mijn wangen. Hoe is het toch mogelijk dat je steeds weer een soort van 'vergeet' hoe ziek en verschrikkelijk die jodenvervolging is geweest...... alsof je brein het gewoon niét kán bevatten. Het is te verschrikkelijk. Je voelt ook de stappen waarin het uitsluiten gebeurde. 2 weken zijn mensen verontwaardigd, daarna is het 'het nieuwe normaal'. Totdat de grens bereikt is.... Er wordt ook duidelijk beschreven wat deze situaties met mensen deden. Aanrader.
December 16, 2020
[RECENSIE: https://www.readabook.nl/2020/12/elle...]
Elle van Rijn heeft een hartverscheurend boek geschreven over een geschiedenis die we nooit vergeten mogen vergeten. Net als Betty en alle andere helden die geholpen hebben. Een aanrader om te lezen!
Elle van Rijn heeft een hartverscheurend boek geschreven over een geschiedenis die we nooit vergeten mogen vergeten. Net als Betty en alle andere helden die geholpen hebben. Een aanrader om te lezen!
December 31, 2020
Een verhaal dat nooit vergeten mag worden en dat goed en beeldend is verteld, alleen heel jammer dat er zoveel spelfouten in het boek zitten. Hoop dat het boek daar nog goed op wordt nagekeken voor een volgende druk.
March 30, 2021
Begon als een groep-8-geschiedenisboek, maar aan het eind zat ik zowat te snotteren als een klein kind. Hier moet ik meer over lezen.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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