Olympics 1928 Amsterdam

from: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Home Page [author: Kerri Strug]

In the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam, the Dutch women gymnasts won the gold medal in team combined exercises. Although the 1928 women gymnasts competed in various events--Drill, Apparatus, and Jumps--gold, silver and bronze medals were awarded only for all-around Team performance.
Five of the twelve team members were Jewish. The coach was also Jewish.
Only one member, Elka de Levie, did not perish in the Holocaust. She died in Amsterdam at the age of 74.

Helena Nordheim (second from left, front row), her husband, and 10-year old daughter were gassed at Sobibor on July 2,1943. [Lea Kloot-Nordheim, born at Amsterdam on August 1, 1903.]
Anna Polak (third from left, front row) and her 6-year old daughter died July 23, 1943, also at Sobibor. [Anna Dresden-Polak, born at Amsterdam on November 24, 1906.]
Estella Agsterribe (fourth from left, front row), her 6-year old daughter and 2-year old son were murdered at Auschwitz on September 17,1943. [Stella Blits-Agsteribbe, born at Amsterdam on April 6, 1909.]
Judikje Simons (far right, front row), her son, and daughter, were also killed at Sobibor. [Judikje Themans-Simons, born at Amsterdam on August 20, 1904.]
Elka de Levie (far right, back row) was the only Jew on the women's team who survived. [Elka de Levie, born: 1905, died: 1979.]
Coach Gerrit Kleerekoper (not on the photograph).

Two members of the 1928 Dutch men's team -- Jewish gymnast Mozes Jacobs [Born at Amsterdam on November 26, 1905.] and Jewish gymnastics trainer Gerrit Kleerekoper [Born at Amsterdam on Februari 15, 1897.] -- also perished at Sobibor in July 1943.