A Day With Bennie And The Day Before.

(Bennie)
Tuesday was moving day. We checked out of the Blue Tower hotel and took the #13 tram into the heart of city and Renee’s apartment. She was a whirlwind of activity getting ready to leave for Israel so once we had our stuff put away we got out of her hair for the day and spent it location scouting.
Unfortunately I lost two interviews that day. In the morning Joop called to tell me that Bettina’s chemo schedule had changed and that our Wednesday morning interview was off. It was a major set back but there seemed to be nothing to do about it. He said if he found another opportunity he would let me know but I wasn’t feeling hopeful.
Renee also bowed out because she was feeling to crunched for time. This was not a major loss, as much as I wanted her perspective she is of my generation and more distant from the story. What I would really need was her father who had just got back from Italy and we had an appointment for Friday.

(Me and Bennie in front of a monument)
Wednesday we spent a full day with my fathers direct cousin Bennie and his girlfriend Faiga (Fay-gu). Benjamin Mouwes (his mother is a Sanders) is kind of the Keith Richards of our family. A former rock band member and zoo keeper who now works as an analyst for the national archives, he’s energetic, talkative and hard to keep track of through a conversation. A real character, perfect for film.

Bennie met us first and after a morning coffee and a quick inspection of a local monument to Jewish resistance we met Faiga at the Museum of Jewish History where she works. First we checked out a special exhibition on jewish cartoonists which included the creators of Superman and Will Eisner who can arguably be credited with inventing the very idea of superheroes.

(Early 1900's hebrew language comic strip)
I got some great information from the historical section on how Jews came to Holland and their place in society before the war. They were unusually well treated compared to most of europe but were locked out of most skilled trades so they had to turn to peddling, money lending, diamond trading and printing. Jews had the market cornered on publishing in Holland through much of the 17th and 18th century.

(A Torah published by Dutch Jewish printers)
I was amazed to find out that the Nazis forced the textiles factory in the town of Enschede to make the yellow stars that the Jews of Holland had to sew to their clothes during WWII. Enschede is the Dutch town on the German border where my grandfather was born and from what I understand relatives of mine worked there during that period.

(A bolt of fabric with yellow stars with the Dutch word "Jood")
After the museum we also took a wander through the giant Portuguese Synagogue across the street. Faiga tried to keep Bennie on a tight leash through out so he wouldn’t disturb the other patrons. She seems to be as much his den mother and biggest fan.
During a very late lunch Dad, Faiga, and I managed to wrestle him into not only doing an interview but to do it that night!

(Amsterdam's Portuguese Synagogue)
A misplaced dinner reservation and a multi-venue hunt for another dining location caused a late start but by 9pm Bennie was sitting and talking up a storm. I think I got some great stuff. But I think my own little moment of genius was to then put him at a table with my dad and a couple of cups of coffee and just let them talk on film.
I’m starting to feel like a film is happening but there is still a long long way to go.