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.
The new exhibit, Animating Hope: Izaak and Bertie Cohen’s Puppet Theater was curated by Rebecca J.W. Jefferson (Curator of the Isser and Rae Price Library of Judaica, Smathers Libraries) and designed by Katiana Bagué (Exhibits Associate, Smathers Libraries) and Lourdes Santamaría-Wheeler (Exhibits Director, Smathers Libraries). Along with nine of the Cohen’s handmade puppets, the exhibit features their personal papers and ephemera both during and after the war. The items on view provide historical context and underscore how perilous life was for Dutch Jews during this period. The exhibit also highlights the challenges survivors faced after World War II. Animating Hope is in the Smathers Library Gallery from February 9, 2026 – May 8, 2026. All items on view are from the Izaak and Bertie Cohen Papers, Isser and Rae Price Library of Judaica, Special & Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida. They were donated by Tommy and Yvonne Cohen, Izaak and Bertie’s children, in 2024. A complementary online exhibit will launch later this year.
The Smathers Library Gallery is located on the second floor of the Smathers Library on the University of Florida campus. Hours are Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., unless otherwise specified and with occasional exceptions for maintenance. All exhibitions are open to the public and free of charge.
