“As descendants of Righteous Among the Nations, my family developed a very strong connection with the Jewish people and their history. My parents loved Israel so much that they decided to move here!”

In 2009, Noah’s family decided to move from the Netherlands to Israel. At the time, Noah was 8 years old.  “Even before moving, I used to come to Israel all the time for vacations. Really, all the time.” 

When Noah turned 18, it was time to decide whether or not to enlist. It was obvious to her that she wanted to contribute to the country, so she started the process to volunteer in the IDF. “In my family, volunteering is essential.” Noah’s mother, Tanny, set a great example for her. She volunteered for Holocaust survivors, hosting dinners at her home and visiting survivors weekly. 

Noah was raised with altruistic and compassionate values that encouraged her to volunteer in the IDF. 

Today, Corporal Noah is serving in the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit and contributes significantly to the State of Israel. 

Noah receiving an Award of Excellence at the end of basic training, 2021

“I am very proud of my family's history.” – Noah 

Noah’s great grandparents and great grandmother's brothers both saved Jews in the Netherlands during the war. Noah’s great grandparents, Hendrik Elskamp and Johanna Elskamp, saved a 20-year-old girl named Esther during the war. Gerry and Evert Kerseboom, the brother and wife of Noah’s great grandmother, put themselves and their children at risk by taking in Julie and Benjamin Van Engel in 1943. Julie and Benjamin Van Engel were a young Jewish couple who were separated from their three young children.

Hendrik Elskamp and Johanna Elskamp with their 2 children 

Gerry and Evert Kerseboom

Thanks to Gerry and Evert Kerseboom’s noble actions, the entire Van Engel were able to reunite after the war. 

Julie and Benjamin Van Engel reunited with their three children after the war

The Kerseboom family was officially recognized as Righteous Among the Nations (in Hebrew: חֲסִידֵי אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם). In 1979, the Kerseboom and the Van Engel family came to Israel and went to Yad Vashem—the World Holocaust Remembrance Center.

 The Tree of Evert and Gerry Kerseboom in Yad Vashem, Jerusalem

Noah’s inspiring story illustrates how love for a people and its history can be passed on from generation to generation. As the IDF, we pay tribute to the families who saved Jews during the Holocaust and to Noah who continues to protect the people of Israel to this day.