Arthur Juda Cohen
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Arthur Juda (Adje Cohen, Uri Yehuda Cohen, Aart Gerardus Lekskes) Cohen (19 January 1910 – 22 December 2000) was a member of the Dutch Underground resistance movement,New York Times, 31 January 1947
School for European Youth is Established in Rotterdam to Rebuild Jewish Community (A Fire in his Soul: Irving Bunim).
and after
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
he was instrumental in the re-establishment of the Jewish community in Rotterdam; as late as the mid-1970s, when already in his 60s, he established a school for strictly orthodox boys and girls in Amsterdam, known as the "
Cheider A ''cheder'' (, lit. 'room'; Yiddish pronunciation: ''khéyder'') is a traditional primary school teaching the basics of Judaism and the Hebrew language. History ''Cheders'' were widely found in Europe before the end of the 18th century. L ...
". Adje Cohen was also responsible for the rescue of Iranian-Jewish refugees to the Netherlands. Between 1987 and 1997 he brought over 3000 Iranian Jews from Pakistan to safer places.Obituary of Arthur Juda Cohen
/ref> In 1991 he set up an airlift for Jewish children from the radio-active Chernobyl area to Israel.


Early years

Adje Cohen was born in
Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...
,
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
on 19 January 1910. His father was Avrohom Arye Cohen, a
Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...
citizen. His mother was Hitzel Kohn, a
Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
citizen. Adje attended the Breuer-yeshiva in Frankfurt aM. The fact that his father was a Dutch citizen allowed the Cohens' entry back into the
Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
in 1933 as
Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...
rose to power.


Dutch Resistance

The Dutch resistance used various methods to incapacitate the Germans during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. One method would include blowing up German fighter planes on Gilze Rijen airbase, another was by having the good looking girls give German soldiers poisonous chocolates while on dates. Additionally the Resistance helped Jews escape often by hiding them beneath the passenger of a motorcycle sidecar. After the liberation, Adje was among a group honored by
Queen Wilhelmina Wilhelmina (; Wilhelmina Helena Pauline Maria; 31 August 1880 – 28 November 1962) was Queen of the Netherlands from 1890 until her abdication in 1948. She reigned for nearly 58 years, making her the longest-reigning monarch in Dutch history, as ...
for their efforts during the war. He refused the Resistance Cross, because as a Jew he did not feel comfortable wearing a cross.


Cheider

In 1974 Adje Cohen began Jewish classes with five children in his home. This grew into an
Orthodox Jewish Orthodox Judaism is a collective term for the traditionalist branches of contemporary Judaism. Theologically, it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah, both Written and Oral, as literally revealed by God on Mount Sinai and faithfully tra ...
school that provides education for children from kindergarten to high school. Many Orthodox families would have left the
Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
if not for the existence of the Cheider: in the Cheider, boys and girls learn separately, and ultra-religious families would without separate schools move to other countries. By 1993 the Cheider had grown to over 230 pupils and 60 staff members. The Cheider moved to its current building at Zeelandstraat in
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...
's
Buitenveldert Buitenveldert is a neighborhood of Amsterdam, Netherlands. It is considered the modern Jewish quarter of Amsterdam with its Synagogue, Jewish schools, nursing homes, shops and restaurants. History From the Middle Ages the 'Binnendijksche Buitenvel ...
. Many prominent
Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...
figures attended the opening, most noteworthy of which was
Princess Margriet Princess Margriet of the Netherlands (Margriet Francisca; born 19 January 1943) is the third daughter of Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard. As an aunt of the reigning monarch, King Willem-Alexander, she is a member of the Dutch Royal House and ...
who opened the new building. Cheider Wikipedia Page


Iranian Jewish Refugees

Adje Cohen was responsible for the rescue of Iranian-Jewish refugees to the Netherlands. Between 1987 and 1997 he brought over 3000 Iranian Jews from Turkey and Pakistan to safer places.


Chernobyl disaster

The nuclear disaster of 1986 left many people in the Chernobyl with a variety of diseases. In 1991 Adje set up an airlift from Minsk, Byelorussia to Israel for affected children.


References


External links


The Cheider Website


Further reading

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cohen, Arthur Juda 1910 births 2000 deaths Dutch resistance members Jews from Hamburg Jewish emigrants from Nazi Germany to the Netherlands