my ironic identity crisis

My ironic identity crisis

By David Verveer

This article was intended to be funny, but I am not sure that it is possible to poke fun at something which is based on the Second World War and the Holocaust. However, in my sarcastic manner allow me to discuss the irony and human stupidity, which again visited me and others in a similar situations.

Please realize that I am not complaining or protesting, I would not dare to bite the hand which might feed me at my old age. Further I need to say that I am neither surprised nor angry, I understand the need for bureaucracy, without it, life would be dull.

But let us start from the beginning, which when speaking of my birth certificate started obviously several days after my appearance on this world, in September 1939, when Holland still prayed to remain outside the forthcoming war in Europe, and my birth enlarged our family to 5 souls, joined by my little sister 2 years later).

I know at some tribes, the official birth certificate is an item placed in a frame and put on the wall, with celebrations around it every year on the birthday of the receiver. In Holland this piece of paper is hardly used, and serves mainly to inform the world that the newly born has been duly written in the Municipal registries.

But then, 9 months later, Holland was over run by the Germans, and slowly but surely, these gentlemen started hunting Jews, and indeed, one day after my 3^rd birthday, my parents decided to flee, and the underground took the 6 of us, separated them, and tried to hide them with non Jewish countrymen. At that time I had just mastered the trick of talking, which I did non stop.

I have now to report the apparently criminal deed of my parents with government property as they burned and destroyed all identity papers of the family, and we were sent on our way, (I was 3 years old, remember) without any trace of our criminal Jewish records. I was moved on from address to address, every time when the neighbors started asking questions about this talkative child, who certainly did not look very Aryan, without knowing my real name and background.

Obvious, I managed to survive the War, and after a few months, my mother found me back, not according identity papers but because a large birthmark on my right leg. I was now 6 years old, without any memory on my identity.

And funny enough, nobody ever asked for my birth certificate, and realizing now, that I can not proof the fact that I really have been born, gives me another reason for having an identity crisis. Perhaps my real name is Jan Jansen, and I suffered for no reason, and without guilt for the crimes of the Jewish people.

Growing up, realizing that as Jew (if I am really me) I knew that I could not take the risk again to depend on other people to safe my skin, and decided to join the young Jewish nation of Israel, as what ever danger, it is us against others, and my being me will not place anybody in danger because trying to stay alive. Not that I am not thankful of being left alive, but I started to have this funny feeling, that somebody did me wrong, and on my 65^th birthday finally I filled in my claim against Germany, on suffering, etc.

About 3 months later I received a postcard, telling me that they received my application and papers, and I will have to wait for their decision if I am approved as a real sucker. In the mean time, as was written, I received a registration number if I would have been in the Concentration camps, I would have received my number much earlier, (on my arm) but who is complaining..

I forgot all about my claim, but surprisingly I received a letter that I have to send them in a period no later than 30 days, the following forms:

A – A document from the Israeli Interior Ministry, telling them my name, my family status and when I arrived to the country and registered as citizen.

B – A financial statement on all my possessions and finances, and C you guessed it, my birth certificate.

Why is this ironic, because precisely the representatives of the country who indirectly caused the destruction of this certificate, needs it now in order to decide if I have the right for compensation. Surely they realize that Jews surviving this period do not possess such papers, nor ever required them, but "order has to be". They know very well my identity, but it is written "birth certificate" and without it, no deal.

Indeed, I wrote immediately to the Municipality of The Hague asking them for a copy of this form, and hope that I will receive it on time, as the bureaucrats involved, do not have any considerations for human input. Both the Germans and Dutch officials deal not with people but with papers, and order, and whom am I, to try to get them to change this thoroughly Germanic duty of working according the book.

The question of my right to claim to be me, without having a birth certificate, put me in dilemma, perhaps if I am really Jan Jansen, do I have the right to open letters addressed to David Verveer?

To be or not to be, all over again.