(Communicated by the President's Spokesperson)
President Rivlin:
“The rescue of the Jews of Denmark is a remarkable event in the history of the holocaust. A bright light in the darkest time in human history. Denmark is a shining example of a country that stood at the side of its Jewish community during the holocaust. The Jewish people and the state of Israel will never forget that.”
“The rescue of the Jews of Denmark must always remind us that we, individuals and nations, do not just follow orders. We always have the ability to choose.”
President Reuven Rivlin and his wife Nechama, together with Danish prime minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen took part today,(Thursday, 11 October) in a ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of the rescue of the Jews of Denmark from the Nazis at the church in Gilleleje. The ceremony was attended by senior Danish figures including the foreign minister, justice minister, culture minister, speaker of the parliament and president of the supreme court.
In September 1943, there were some 86 Jews living in Gilleleje. They were hidden in the attic of the church for 11 hours while the local people and fishermen brought them food and blankets. Their fate was sealed when their hiding place was given away and they were sent to Theresienstadt. At the end of the ceremony, the president and the prime minister went up to the attic to pay their respects.
President Rivlin began by telling the story of the rescue: “Exactly seventy-five years ago, at morning prayers on the eve of the Jewish New Year, 29th September 1943, Rabbi Marcus Melchior, the Rabbi of the Great Synagogue in Copenhagen, spoke to the congregation. The day before, he was warned by the Danish resistance that the Germans were planning to round up the Jews of Denmark and send them to concentration camps. Rabbi Melchior asked the congregation to pass on the news to everyone they knew and told them to leave their homes and to find shelter. The Torah scrolls of the synagogue were hidden in a church nearby. Only then, the Rabbi looked for safety for him and his family. A Danish pastor offered him his house. ‘Are you sure?’ Rabbi Melchior asked him. He knew what could happen to the pastor if he was caught. ‘I am prepared to pay the price,’ answered the pastor. And the pastor was not the only one. Over the next two days, the Jews of Denmark went underground, with the help of Danish people who offered help and shelter. Thousands of Danes risked their lives in order to save their fellow Jews at the darkest time in human history. Within three weeks, 7900 Jews and their family members reached Sweden, which gave them refuge. Two thousand of these refugees crossed the border in fishing boats from right here, from Gilleleje. When the Gestapo raided the Jewish houses they found them empty.”
The president continued, “The courage, the bravery the humanity and the solidarity of so many Danish people and the Danish resistance stood as a firm wall between the Jews of Denmark and the Nazi death machine. When people in Europe were asked why they didn’t help their fellow Jews, they often said, ‘What could we have done?’ When those brave Danes were asked about why they helped the Jews, they replied ‘How could we have done anything else? It was our duty as humans.’ The rescue of the Jews of Denmark is a remarkable event in the history of the holocaust. A bright light in the darkest time in human history. Denmark is a shining example of a country that stood at the side of its Jewish community during the holocaust. The Danish Jews sent to Theresienstadt were murdered. There were Danes who joined the German forces, but they were a minority. The rescue of the Jews of Denmark must always remind us that we, individuals and nations, do not just follow orders. We always have the ability to choose.”
The president concluded by saying: “I want to thank Her Majesty the Queen, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and the Prime Minister. Thank you for your leadership. Thank you for your great efforts to ensure that Jewish life and heritage in Denmark continue to flourish. May the memory of the victims of the holocaust be in our hearts now and forever.”
Prime Minister Rasmussen thanked President Rivlin for attending the ceremony to commemorate the rescue of the Jews of Denmark and said, “This morning, you and I paid tribute at the monument called ‘Stœvnen’ here in Gilleleje to honor the many people who helped in October 1943. All who made it possible to save most of the Danish Jews. Today we are not only remembering the disaster. We also celebrate hope. The rescue of the Danish Jews is not only a part of Denmark’s history. It is a part of world history. As a Dane, it is heartwarming to visit Israel, to experience the gratitude for the rescue of the Danish Jews. I felt this very strongly when I was in Israel two years ago. The rescue of Danish Jews is a solid foundation under the Danish-Israeli relationship. Denmark strongly supported the formation of the State of Israel. The cruelty of the holocaust made it clear that the world’s Jews needed a safe haven.”
He continued, “October 1943 is a story about forfeiture and rescue. Genocide and humanity. Darkness and light. And it is, first and foremost, a story about personal responsibility. One of the most important events in Danish national history – probably the part of our history which is most known around the world – is not about the deeds of generals. It is about the many ordinary Danes who made choices that had a huge impact.”
During the ceremony, the president met three holocaust survivors who were rescued in the operation – Tove Udsholt, Hanna Skop and Ib Katznelson. As a child, Tove was adopted by a Danish Christian family. After the war, she chose to remain with her adopted family in Gilleleje where she lives until today. Hannah fled to Denmark from Nazi Germany with her family and was then smuggled with her mother and brother to Sweden. After the war, she returned to Denmark and stayed there. Ib’s family tried to escape Denmark but was arrested by the Germans. He and his mother were sent to the Ravensbruck concentration camp, and were then sent to Theresienstadt. After the war, he returned to Denmark.