David Koker

The Jewish student David Koker (27 November 1921 - 23 February 1945) lived with his family in Amsterdam until he was captured on the night of 11 February 1943 and transported to camp Vught.

David was forced to halt his studies in philosophy and history in September 1941 when the university ceased allowing Jews to study anymore. The family did not go into hiding because they had received an exemption and believed they were safe. Still, in 1943, they were captured and transported to Camp Vught on 11 February. David spent some of his time teaching children at the camp. In July, he received a Sperre (temporary exemption from deportation) from Frits Philips and joined his "Philips Commandos". In June 1944, the "Philips-Jews" were transported to Auschwitz-Birkenau, from where they would be sent to other camps to work for electronic companies.

David's mother and brother Max survived the war. David, however, fell ill and died during a transfer of ill people to the Dachau concentration camp due in part to his illness as well as hypothermia in February 1945. His father died of exhaustion in LangenBilau, a subcamp of Groß-Rosen.

Koker had published in 1941 Modern-Hebreeuwse poëzie. The booklet (87 pages) was a bilingual edition of modern Hebrew poetry, with translations in Dutch. The co-translator was J. Melkman, pseudonym of Jozeph Michman (1914-2009). It was published by Joachimsthal in Amsterdam.