Ellen Israels or Isler was the daughter of Sander Israels, a merchant or shopkeeper, and his wife Selma, née Eichengrün. She had a twin sister by the name of Ruth and a brother called Alfred (born 1921).

The entire Israels/Isler family emigrated to Amsterdam in 1935.

Still today, the fate of Ellen is not known for certain, with several versions existing as to what became of her:
According to one, she worked from 1934 to 1938 in England as a nanny or nursemaid, and after that, until her deportation, as an office clerk in Amsterdam.
In a second version, she offered voluntarily to work for the Germans. Later, she was deported to Auschwitz.
Also unclear is the place of her death, with Sobibor stated in the reparation files, whereas she in fact probably died in Auschwitz.

Ellen’s parents and siblings survived the Holocaust by living underground: From 1943, Selma and Sander hid in an attic in Hilversum; here, Sander fell ill, was taken to hospital and died. Mother Selma later went into hiding with a family in Bussum. Whether Ruth was with her mother during this time is not known. Alfred, at any rate, also went underground and emigrated to the USA in 1948, followed there by the mother and daughter a few years later.