On Rosh Hoshanah (September 30th, 1943), Ina Soep and her family were deported to Westerbork concentration camp. On arrival to their living quarters, block 64, Ina and her family were greeted by familiar faces. Jack Polak, although married to his first wife at the time, started a courtship with Ina. Much of their correspondence was composed of notes and letters..
On May 18th, 1944, Ina was deported to Bergen-Belsen. After relocation to the "Exchange Camp" in Bergen-Belsen, Jack and Ina continued writing and sending letters to one another. The couple was separated on April 7th, 1945, when Ina was put on a passenger train, filled with 2400 prisoners. Liberated by the Americans, on May 5th, Ina arrived back in Holland. By August of 1945, Jack divorced his wife. In October, the couple became engaged.
The couple married in January of 1946. After three children and 69 years of marriage, Ina Polak passed away on May 14th, 2014. Jack Polak who was a founder of the Anne Frank Center USA and who toured around the United States to share his experiences, followed his wife on January 9th, 2015. The Polaks were featured in a documentary about their experiences and love story. The documentary is called, "Steal a Pencil For Me".
On May 18th, 1944, Ina was deported to Bergen-Belsen. After relocation to the "Exchange Camp" in Bergen-Belsen, Jack and Ina continued writing and sending letters to one another. The couple was separated on April 7th, 1945, when Ina was put on a passenger train, filled with 2400 prisoners. Liberated by the Americans, on May 5th, Ina arrived back in Holland. By August of 1945, Jack divorced his wife. In October, the couple became engaged.
The couple married in January of 1946. After three children and 69 years of marriage, Ina Polak passed away on May 14th, 2014. Jack Polak who was a founder of the Anne Frank Center USA and who toured around the United States to share his experiences, followed his wife on January 9th, 2015. The Polaks were featured in a documentary about their experiences and love story. The documentary is called, "Steal a Pencil For Me".
A portrait from their wedding day.
Links for further research:
Note: The last two links are PDF's which contain articles about Ina and Jack Polak.
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