Karel Denneboom (Meppel, 23.10.1892 – Enschede, 9.5.1982) married Julia Zilverberg (Zwolle, 4.12.1896  – Enschede,10.3.1969) in Zwolle on October 28, 1919. Her parents were Meijer Zilverberg (Zwolle, 23.6.1870  – Auschwitz, 3.12.1943) and Ester Veterman (Zwolle, 16.12.1870 – Auschwitz, 3.12.1943).

Karel and Julia began their wedded life at the Vondelkade 27 in Zwolle. One of their neighbours there at the Vondelkade 43, was Karel’s younger brother, Elie. Karel and Julia had two children. Their eldest son Israel (Ies) was born in Zwolle on August 3, 1920. Meijer, named after his maternal grandfather and called Menno, was born in Zwolle on October 14, 1923.

During WW II Ies and Menno were caught and sent to the Westerbork transit and detention camp in Drenthe.  They escaped from there with Meijer Caneel and Maupie de Leeuw, two Jews who were from Zwolle as well. After their escape, Ies was hidden in Zwolle with Ati and  Nico Noordhof in the  P.C. Hooftstraat 18, while Mennofound a hiding place outside of Zwolle. Both brothers survived the Holocaust.

A couple of years later, Menno met  Alida (Ali) Meijers, who was born in Doesburg on March 3, 1925. They married on October 15, 1950 in a civil ceremony at the Zwolle municipality and on the same day in a Jewish ceremony at the synagogue.

Karel Denneboom was employed as department manager at the Kan-Danneboom firm, later named H.Kan  and Son. This firm ran a recycling business dealing in paper, rags and small pelts at the van Karnebeekstraat. When Karel stopped working there, his son Menno followed in his footsteps. (It is curious to note that the firm’s name once included “Danneboom”, and that later, there was an employee called Denneboom. This used to cause a certain amount of confusion in Zwolle.)

Karel was a draughts enthousiast. He was a veritable expert in the game and won many trophies in draughts tournaments.

Menno and  Ali had three children, all born in Zwolle:
Carel, on April 2, 1952
Hanne, on July 6, 1954 and
Etienne, on November 20, 1955.

During the first years of their wedded life Ali and Menno lived on the floor above Menno’s parents at the Vondelkade 27. Later on they moved to the Johan van Oldenbarneveltstraat and from there they relocated to the Wipstrikkerallee 117.

When they got on in years, Karel and Julia decided to move to the Menco van Dam home, a Jewish old-age- home in Enschede. They both passed away there, but are buried at the Jewish Watersteeg cemetery in Zwolle.

Their son Menno died in Zwolle on November 4, 1992.

Carel and Hanne got piano lessons and they enjoy playing even to this day. Hanne was also active as one of the local Bnei Akiva youth leaders.

After Carel had finished his secondary schooling at the Zwolle gymnasium, he moved to study microbiology and biochemistry at the University of Groningen (1969-1974). After that he immigrated to Israel, where he married Hava (Eva) Schaffer in 1976. Hava was born in Timisoara (Romania) on September 13, 1952. They have a daughter, Dina, and live in Jerusalem. Carel is currently professor in microbiology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In 2010 Carel was awarded an honourary doctorate by the University of Osnabrueck in Germany.

Hanne’s need for social involvement which already manifested itself in Bnei Akiva, has stayed with her. After having finished high school, she continued her education at the teachers’ seminar in Meppel. She taught for a couple of years, but then chose for another field in which to help people and became head of the swimming and gymnastics department for the elderly at the Homecare centre in Rotterdam. Currently she is an  emergency-foster-parent for babies up to one year and during weekends and vacations she takes care of foster-children. She lives in Capelle on the IJssel.