Original subtitles

Jaffa, Palestine

New York, United States

I won't be blessed by a murderer of the Jewish people.

The Jewish Council 5. Article 1

- It's half past nine, Miss Cohen. - I'm sorry. I was still in bed.

This is Ms Salomons. She's looking for her son.

I'll be right back.

That's Bruno.

Such a nice, little boy.

- Do you know... - Limburg.

- Did he go through the kindergarten? - Yes, Jenny took him.

Bruno had dark hair, so we called him 'coffee surrogate'.

They all went to Limburg.

'Tea surrogates' were blonde, they went to Friesland.

- Do you have the address? - No, but I can find out.

Just tell us how we can reach you.

I'm staying at a guest house for now.

I'm meeting the notary this week, I'm hoping to receive my inheritance.

So, I can rent my own place to live in with Bruno.

- If there's anything we can do... - We'll gladly help out.

Amsterdam Courthouse

- Bram... - David.

You've also been summoned?

This feels very familiar.

How so?

Sitting on a bench.

Next to you, and then the waiting game.

Abraham Asscher. Born September 19, 1880, in Amsterdam?

Yes, present.

David Cohen. Born December 31, 1882, in Deventer.

You are under arrest for a preliminary investigation into collaboration.

Collaboration? What...

What is this idiocy?

This is really...

I protest against this entirely inappropriate treatment.

- Do you realise what you're doing? - I advise you not to resist

and to comply.

We know of your heroic interventions in the Jewish daycare.

- Hundreds of children were... - Saved by the resistance and students.

They took the biggest risks.

Unfortunately, in spite of your obvious qualifications,

we can't offer you the position. Thank you for coming.

But...

Why did you ask me to come then? I don't understand...

- We had hoped... - The procedure is confidential,

we can't go into details.

- Is it my CV? - Your CV is fine.

It's your father.

There were some doubts before

because of his controversial position in the Jewish Council

and that he needs to appear before the honour court.

The recent developments have lead us to decide to look for someone...

Someone whose last name is less controversial.

Recent developments?

This morning, a judicial inquiry was opened into your father.

You didn't know?

No, I didn't know.

- Does he have a lawyer? - Gomperts immediately offered to help.

- Did he talk to Dad? - In a short telephone call.

- He can see him tomorrow. - This is unbelievable.

They were handcuffed.

Doesn't the prosecution have enough work with Aus der Fünten and his friends?

For five years they ignored the Jews and now they're prosecuting the Council.

Gomperts asked us to bring some toiletries.

And a change of clothes.

No.

- No, forget it. - Come on, Virrie.

- No, why me? - I have to go to work.

And he likes you most.

- Here... - I...

The list of stuff he needs.

How was your job interview?

It didn't work out, they had already found someone else. I'll make some tea.

Mr. Asscher and I have given multiple statements

with regards to our work for the Jewish Council.

And I also have to answer to the honour court,

so I don't understand...

What you Jews scheme among yourselves is none of the prosecution's business.

The time of your incarceration depends on your collaboration in the investigation.

- So, Mr. Cohen... - Professor Cohen.

Professor Cohen, when you were approached to preside over the Jewish Council,

what persuaded you to accept?

The only purpose of the Jewish Council was to ease the Jewish people's suffering.

The people? Only certain groups then?

The Council took care of everyone.

In May 1942...

there were more than 100,000 Jewish citizens of Amsterdam

that had to be housed, fed and clothed.

They needed medical and mental care, and the children needed schooling.

That's great, but I really want to talk to you

about the Jewish citizens that were extradited by your Jewish Council.

- That's a complete misinterpretation. - Is it?

You designated them, didn't you?

- You compiled the transport lists. - That is absolutely untrue.

We did exactly the opposite.

We made sure that names were taken off the lists.

By convincing the Germans they were indispensable

for the Amsterdam community.

And those who weren't indispensable according to you...

They were sent away.

Undoubtedly, I have had to make very complicated decisions...

Mr. Schön, but a leader in times of war needs to have the courage

to sacrifice 100 people in order to save 3,000.

No matter how difficult it is.

My God, Esther... How is this possible?

No one else from the neighbourhood has come back.

After all this time, I had never expected...

Come on in.

- Hello, my dear. - Hello, Dad.

I've brought you some things.

But I had to hand them over.

How is your mother?

Fine.

And Mirjam?

She's fine too.

How did the job interview go?

- I didn't get the job. - That's a shame.

They didn't like my last name.

Virrie...

I realise that my work and everything that happened, has consequences for the family.

For you.

And I'm truly sorry about it.

I can't express how sorry I am.

I was in a Swiss rehabilitation clinic for a year,

because I couldn't walk or eat any solid food anymore.

Otherwise I would have come back sooner.

What about the house? Will you get it back?

That's being investigated.

It may take a while before I see results.

Maybe it's a good thing, then you can start over in a new place.

I would like to talk about the things my parents gave you in safekeeping.

Esther, when you didn't come back, we really had no idea what to do.

There was no one, no family or friends that we could return those things to.

So, we decided

to start using the service and the other things.

It seemed such a waste to leave it in a chest in the attic.

I would like to take the pictures with me too.

And the other things we'll just...

I got rid of our old service, so I don't know what we can use then.

I'll talk to my husband about it, I...

I'm sure we'll find a solution that suits us all.

massive protest against arrest Asscher and Cohen

Dear Mr. Schön,

in response to your letter, I want to inform you that I am not able

and also not inclined to travel from Israel to the Netherlands

to give you a statement.

I work five days a week and I have a family, I am very busy.

I can tell you that I look back upon the Jewish Council

as an incomprehensible and cruel chapter in our history.

The Germans installed such Jewish councils all over Europe.

The way they abused them

to turn the Jews into accomplices to their own destruction,

is an appalling and atrocious form of war crime.

Asscher and Cohen were naive, that is true. But they are no criminals.

The guilty party are the Germans.

It is an unacceptable, intolerable insult to be incarcerated

in the same building as Mr. Aus der Fünten.

And to make it easier on you, I have a written objection

containing some examples of his inhumane and criminal behaviour.

Inmate Aus der Fünten will not escape being brought to justice, Professor Cohen.

For now, he is a useful witness.

Who is very collaborative.

Ms Salomons?

- I just wanted to know if there's news? - Not yet.

Hopefully in tomorrow's mail.

I have a meeting with the notary and I was wondering...

whether you have the time...

Sure.

There is no doubt about what has happened to my family.

They were transported to Auschwitz in November 1942, you can't pretend...

that there's still hope.

As long as their deaths haven't been registered with the registry office

- you have no right to the inheritance. - And that's it?

After ten years of absence,

they can be declared to be presumed dead.

Then you need to take into account it will take a time-consuming procedure

to find out the exact order in which your family members have died.

I am sorry.

I understand that in your case these legal stipulations

are quite unpractical.

- Mr. Aus der Fünten stated... - I'm not defending myself

- against the words of a criminal. - That from the start

a safe exit was negotiated for your family and Mr. Asscher's.

That's a blatant lie and if it were true, Mr. Schön,

how did my family end up in Theresienstadt then?

I never abused my position to favour friends or family.

We received a statement from Mr. Gerzon stating the opposite.

In May 1943, the night of the big raid in the east quarter,

you used a car from the Jewish Council for your stepdaughter Marjo Tal, correct?

You went to pick up Miss Tal.

Gerzon claims you were obviously aware of the fact that the raid was imminent.

'The next morning, the bridges were raised and the quarter was closed off.

Nobody could get in or out.'

I also have to point out

that there are quite a large amount of claims

- on your parents' house. - What claims?

The ground rent has not been paid in three years.

The ground rent?

These people have to pay ground rent? For a house that they were chased out of?

And if this is not paid, there will obviously be a fine to pay.

And how were they supposed to pay these bills?

I understand your frustration, but I'm just following the policy

issued by the city of Amsterdam.

Professor Cohen, you can't maintain

that you didn't know what happened to the people who were taken away

to Germany, Poland, with their best shoes and two pairs of warm socks...

Rubbish.

I didn't know, nobody knew. What are you trying to say, Mr. Schön?

That I knowingly sent Jews to their deaths, is that what you're saying?

If we had known what happened to the people that were deported, we obviously

would have relinquished our work in the Council and advised our people

to go into hiding.

Of course, there were speculations.

And concerns about the treatment and the situation in the labour camps.

But we also got letters that indicated that the circumstances were acceptable.

No one knew of the systematic extinction that was happening in the camps.

According to Aus der Fünten you did know.

He declared that after the first transports, you used the word 'slaughter'.

I can't reproduce why I used such wordings then.

I do remember trying to stop the inhumane way of transporting people

and that effort clearly had an effect.

Your close collaborator, Ms Gertrude van Tijn,

- wrote in her post-war report... - Excuse me.

This so-called contribution by Ms van Tijn

is full of lies and scandalous accusations.

You can't expect me to seriously pursue this matter.

Of course I ask myself this question every day, Mr. Schön.

Whether we could have known.

Or should have known.

Of course, the work that we did,

how we tried to provide people with backpacks with warm clothes and blankets,

to prepare them as best as we could

to face the harsh circumstances in the labours camps...

Thanks.

Of course that seems absurd with what we know now.

We knew that the fate of those who had to leave, would be hard

and that some of them might not come back again.

But how in the world could we have surmised

that our entire family...

all of our friends...

all of...

all of the people we loved...

What happened, Mr. Schön, what has happened,

what the world allowed to happen,

is incomprehensible.

And it will remain incomprehensible.

- So, now she staying with you? - Temporarily.

Fortunately, I got word from Limburg this morning.

Tomorrow, we're going to see Bruno.

What?

You are so clever.

I hope you don't blame me for what happened between us.

Of course not.

I wouldn't want you to think that it didn't mean anything to me,

because it did.

There's something else.

I don't want you to hear from someone else.

Remember that boy I needed to bring back?

He was in hiding and then he had to come back to the theatre.

- Daniel. - Exactly.

His mother had changed her mind, she didn't want him to go and she was upset.

Then she went to the Jewish Council.

Then your father put Walter Susskind on the spot and threatened...

I filed a complaint against your father.

With the purge committee.

Virrie?

- I promised Esther... - Remember our row about this?

About your father and the Council?

After that we always managed to separate it.

To me, you were never David Cohen's daughter, you're just Virrie.

You know what the problem is, Piet?

I am David Cohen's daughter.

He is my father.

On December 31, 1942, you got a visit from a Mr. Van Duijn.

He was a gardener in Auschwitz.

He states that he informed you of the gas chambers and crematoria.

That's not true.

I never spoke with Mr. Van Duijn.

- Why not? - Because I was too busy

and because I had a rule

not to listen to unsubstantial horror stories.

And that day you were too busy celebrating your 60th birthday, right?

My collaborators insisted on having a show of their appreciation.

Yes, of course.

They did everything to avoid being put on the transports.

I have always committed myself with heart and soul

for the well-being of those that were under my care, Mr. Schön.

And what did they get out of it?

- Eventually they all ended up on the train. - And that's my fault?

Is that what you're saying?

Do you think I took pleasure in saying farewell to all of my loved ones?

People I'd worked with for years and had greatly admired?

Mr. Schön, the Germans systematically and intentionally

wiped our entire community off the map.

While the government and the queen carefully looked the other way

and everyone and I mean everyone...

abandoned us.

The police didn't mind helping out with the raids.

The Dutch railway company even built more tracks to make the journey

to Westerbork easier.

- But your choice... - You can call me out on my choices.

And I can defend them, that's how a constitutional state works.

But what you can't do, is blame me

for the murder of 100,000 Jews, you can't do that.

And you should be very well aware of the fact

that we as the Council

played for time and used obstruction

so that not at the end of 1942, as the Germans had planned,

but only in September 1943

they met their goal.

If the war had ended sooner, as we had all expected it to,

then we would have saved tens of thousands of Jewish lives.

Bruno...

- Will you bake a pie for me too? - Sure.

The lady is crying,

because she is really happy to see you.

Because you are her son.

She is your mother.

Remember that I told you that your parents had to go away for a while?

Fortunately, your mother has come back.

She's taking you home.

Is Bruno leaving today?

We'll take our time to see how we can arrange things.

Daddy.

Go on.

I don't know how to...

You don't need to thank me.

We enjoyed Bruno being here.

What's going to happen next?

Do you know?

The prosecution is still deliberating, but Gomperts thinks

- they will probably drop the case. - And the honour court?

The sessions will continue in a few days.

Well, let's just hope that this ridiculous charade will be over soon.

I want to thank you all

and especially you, Cornelia, for this dinner.

It means a lot to me that you are all here.

Let's eat.

Did you threaten to give the children's network away?

- Where does this come from? - Just answer my question.

Of course not.

Walter Susskind and the people who helped him have...

done an excellent job.

But I couldn't be associated with it,

that would have endangered the Council and other people's lives.

I remember having quite a vivid discussion with Walter.

I made it clear that his activities

should be kept far beyond my scope and that of the Council's.

Is it true that you saved Marjo the night of the big raid in the east quarter?

Mum had heard something might happen and she was worried.

Yes, and then your father went to pick up Marjo.

Virrie, you can't blame your father for saving Marjo's life.

Of course not, Sophie.

- You don't have to be jealous of her. - It's not about Marjo.

- You know you're the favourite. - It's about those children.

And the fact that you knew.

You knew that the Germans were going to raid the hospital.

I didn't.

If you had warned me, I could have saved those children.

- Maira and Lientje could have been saved. - You have to believe me.

I could have done something.

And I don't think...

I don't know if I can ever forgive you.

Professor Cohen, as the president of this court I want to stress

our appreciation for your appearance before this court.

Contrary to your fellow-president, Mr. Asscher,

whose absence we strongly deplore.

Today is a special session.

Since you were not able to make your final plea before,

we wanted to give you the opportunity to do this now.

Can I come in?

Thank you, Mr. President.

- Dear members of the court... - I'm here because I wanted to ask...

I want to implore you...

to reconsider your decision.

Not just because I have the right qualifications for the job,

but also because...

because I need this job.

Otherwise I will go crazy.

It's that simple.

Dear members of the court, I have decided to waive the right to a final plea.

For two reasons, the first being that the public prosecutor has issued a gag order.

And the second because this honour court has been installed by institutions

whose collaborators worked side by side with me and Mr. Asscher during the war.

So, I don't believe they're capable of passing an unbiased judgement.

Judge me for my own choices and not for someone else's.

That's what I'm asking from you.

I would also like...

to remind you of the first article in your own rule book.

Since I am not my father.

People's reprehensible acts during the occupation

can only be judged taking into account the factual circumstance at the time.

I am Virrie Cohen.

Judging these based on the knowledge obtained after the facts

is improper.

Mr. Asscher was a man with many capacities.

But the problems the Council was faced with were too big for him.

He charged me with the day-to-day management,

and for actual support in solving problems I could not count on him.

- Excuse me, I'm interrupting. - No, do come in.

This is Ms Heuwekemeijer from the RIOD.

- Virrie Oudkerk. - Loe de Jong...

wants a report of my experiences as president of the Jewish Council.

Ms Heuwekemeijer has been so kind as to record my account.

- I'll see you on Friday, Professor Cohen. - See you then.

Can you show the lady to the door?

I worry that these sessions are taking a toll on your father.

He's already said a few times that reviving these memories is very emotional.

- Have a nice evening, Ms Oudkerk. - Thank you, goodbye.

Ms Heuwekemeijer said she is worried about you.

About these sessions being so emotional.

Of course, it's emotional.

It would be strange if it didn't affect me.

You never told me that.

That you're sorry.

But I don't have any regrets.

Feeling emotional is significantly different from feeling regret.

If I hadn't done anything, then I would feel regret.

I've undoubtedly made mistakes.

But the principles I followed were right.

And I will stand by my choices.

Isn't that great.

I wish I had your conviction.

That I could go to bed at night, thinking...

I did everything right.

I have news.

I'm pregnant.

It does entail risks, of course, but...

- I'm four months along, so it seems... - My dear girl...

Try and get some sleep.

My dearest...

I know I have to be strong.

But the world is dark and quiet.

And I miss you.

When this will ever be over,

whenever there's an end to this hell,

how will we move on?

That's what I'm wondering.

How will we move on with our lives?

Time to put this away.

the honour court found David Cohen and Abraham Asscher guilty

of reprehensible behaviour and banned them

from all official functions within the Jewish community

in 1951, the department of justice decided to no longer persecute Cohen and Asscher

'on the basis of public interest'

Virrie Cohen-Oudkerk kept dreaming about the children she couldn't save

she and Piet Meerburg remained friends for the rest of their lives