Sonia Sor and Joseph Gordon

Sonia Sor was born on December 26, 1907 in Beltzi (Romania). In October 1931 she arrived in Belgium and went to live with her brother, Smul Sor, at Filips van Marnixstraat 21 in Ghent. As a student, Sonia was supported by Smul who was an engineer. She was given a two-month travel visa which was then extended for one year. Although Sonia had a valid visa, the government ordered her to leave Belgium before June 25, 1932. Smul, however, wrote a letter to the Ministry of Justice containing some arguments in favour of Sonia’s case. Smul cited among other things the fact that Sonia didn’t work and was supported by him, that she had a residence permit until November 1, 1932, and that she studied various languages at the Institut Provincial Commercial & Polyglotte in Ghent. Her studies were confirmed by the director of the institute, Jules Tack. Because of the recommendations, Sonia finally got a visa that was valid until November 1, 1933.

On November 18, 1933, Sonia married Joseph Gordon in Ghent. Joseph was born on January 15, 1906, in Glebokie, Poland (today Hlybokaye in Belarus). He was granted a visa on May 22, 1925 and arrived in Belgium on August 15, 1925. Joseph lived at Koning Albertlaan 86 in Ghent. As a student at the University of Ghent, he was supported by his parents who lived abroad. Joseph moved successively to Liège, Antwerp, Ghent, Berchem and again to Ghent where he lived at Koning Boudewijnstraat 12.

After their marriage, the family Gordon-Sor went to live at Tolhuislaan 136 in the same city. Sonia and Joseph moved several times within Ghent but finally settled at Baudelokaai 5. When Nazi Germany invaded Belgium in May 1940, Sonia and Joseph obeyed the anti-Jewish laws of the occupation authorities. At the end of 1940 they registered in the Register of Jews, and on April 14, 1942, they became members of the Jewish Association.

Joseph and Sonia were arrested under circumstances unknown to us, and on January 11, 1943 they were put on the list of transport XIX under numbers 526 and 527 in the Dossin Barracks. Transport XIX left the Dossin Barracks on January 15, 1943, for Auschwitz-Birkenau and arrived there on January 17, 1943. Sonia and Joseph did not survive the war.

Publication info:

ADRIAENS Ward, STEINBERG Maxime (et al.), Mecheln-Auschwitz, 1942-1944. The destruction of Jews and gypsies from Belgium, 4 volumes (volume 1), Brussels, 2009.