Project 'Long shadow of Sobibor' Interview 20 Vera de Jong-Simons Project 'Late gevolgen van Sobibor'

Vera Simons was one year old jaar when the war broke out. When she was taken into hiding by a foster family she was two and a half, almost three years old. An uncle of her father's, who lived in Amsterdam, had a mixed marriage; Vera survived the war with his wife's sister, who was an observing catholic, in Maastricht. She has good recollections from this hiding period. She was baptized after the war and still later was taken unexpectedly to the sister of her war foster mother and her father's uncle in Amsterdam. She was about six years old at the time and wasn't explained anything. Although she remembers this father's uncle warmly, unpleasant times begin at her legal guardians in Amsterdam. Vera and her foster mother didn't really like each other. Her guardian died in 1951 and before long Vera was told that she was Jewish and didn't have any parents anymore. Little by little Vera broke away from her guardian, with whom she had emigrated to Australia against her own will. Vera found out that her guardian had robbed her and sold her heritage. Back in Amsterdam Vera met her future husband, John. They got two children and moved to Brussels. Both Vera's parents were killed in Sobibor.