#Story
Courageous Brother and Sister
Annie and Johan Lebbink owned a tobacco shop. In the flat above the shop, the brother and sister sheltered Jewish people, including Michel Groenteman from Amsterdam. His five-year-old son Samuel was hiding elsewhere, but was discovered by the Germans on 15 August 1944.
They came to Doetinchem to arrest the father. Annie was not at home. Johan was, together with Michel Groenteman and another Jewish person in hiding. The Germans arrested Michel and Johan. Neither of them would survive the war, nor would little Samuel.
Three months after the raid, Annie provided shelter to 14-year-old Robbie Cohen from Amsterdam. She kept him hidden until the liberation.
Yad Vashem Award
Annie and Johan Lebbink hid five Jewish people in their home. In 2009, Annie was posthumously honoured with the Yad Vashem award. She had passed away four years earlier, at the age of 93.
The award comes with the honorary title Righteous Among the Nations, the highest distinction bestowed by the State of Israel. It is awarded to non-Jews who risked their lives to protect or rescue Jews during the Second World War. Of the 20,000 awards granted worldwide, 5,000 have been given to people in the Netherlands.