During the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, Izaak (Ike) and Bertha (Bertie) Cohen hid in Rotterdam. Concealed in the upstairs apartment of Nico Dane and Gien Dane-Verkouter, the couple were often forced to hide in a narrow closet behind a staircase. In this confined space and under these dangerous conditions, the Cohens created a puppet theater. Ike carved the wooden hand puppets while Bertie sewed costumes and painted the figures’ faces. Inspired by classic fairy tales, they used the puppets to stage clandestine performances for local children. Their identities remained a secret, and their presence obscured. These performances transformed an environment of fear into one of hope.
Animating Hope: Izaak and Bertie Choen’s Puppet Theater, curated by Rebecca Jefferson, is on display in the Smathers Library’s 2nd floor exhibit gallery and is open to the public during normal building hours from February 9th-May 8th, 2026.
