He was first placed on a farm, but deemed too young to be useful, he was sent back and eventually taken in by a couple, Piet and Ali, whom he was instructed to call “tonton” and “tata.” Renamed Jopie, Joseph had to remain completely silent and invisible to avoid detection. The house doubled as a doctor’s office, and German soldiers frequently came as patients. To survive, Joseph spent hours hidden in a basement or confined to a cupboard.

He lived this way for three years.

At the end of the war, his father came to retrieve him—but Joseph did not recognize him and initially refused to go. Reunification was painful. His mother, who had survived the Theresienstadt camp, returned deeply traumatized. To Joseph, his parents had become strangers.

Years later, Joseph moved to Israel, but he never severed his bond with Piet and Ali—the people who had saved his life. In 1971, he brought them to Israel and ensured they were honored as Righteous Among the Nations.

His story is one of survival, displacement, and the enduring ties that transcend blood—reminding us that, in the darkest times, humanity can still prevail.