Danish Religious Organizations and Individuals Who Aided Jews
Religious Organizations and Clergy That Aided and Saved Jews (Non-Jewish)
Pastor Poul Borchsenius, Protestant Chaplain, religious leader
Bishop of Copenhagen H. Fuglsang-Damgaard, Clergyman. Strongly protested the persecution of Jews and the attempted deportation of Jews by Nazis in October 1943. He prepared a letter of protest to be given to German occupation commander Dr. Werner Best. The letter was read in many Danish churches on Sunday, October 3, 1943. In part, it stated: “We understand by freedom of religion the right to exercise our faith in God in accordance with vocation and conscience, and in such a way that race and religion can never in themselves be a reason for depriving a man of his rights, freedom, or property. Despite different religious views, we shall therefore struggle to insure the continued guarantee to our Jewish brothers and sisters of the same freedom we ourselves treasure more than life itself. The leaders of the Danish Church have a clear understanding of the duty to be law-abiding citizens and would never revolt needlessly against those who exercise the functions of authority over us—but our conscience obliges us at the same time to maintain the law and to protest against any violation of rights. We will therefore unambiguously declare our allegiance to the doctrine that bids us obey God more than man” (quoted in Yahil, 1969, pp. 235-236). (Yahil, 1969, pp. 173, 207, 234-236, 308, 486n49)
Pastor Hans Kildeby, Lutheran Minister, Orslov, Denmark. Hid Rabbi Melchior, his wife and 5 children. (Flender 53-54; Melchior; Werner, 2002, pp. 47-48)
Pastor Krohn, Vicar of Lynby, Copenhagen. (Bertelsen, 1960)
Kaj Munk, Clergyman. (Flender, 1980, pp. 70, 109, 234, quoted p 28; Yahil, 1969, p. 233)
Dean Pastor Johannes Nordentoft, Clergyman. (Flender, 1980, p. 64; Yahil, 1969, p. 233)
Bishop Plum and Wife, Lutheran Bishop at Nykøbing, Island of Falster, Denmark. Hid and fed Melchoir family and 150 refugee families. (Werner, 2002, pp. 47-45; Melchior)
Pastor Henry Rasmussen, Lutheran Minister. Provided money to pay Danish fishermen to smuggle Jews to Sweden. (Goldberger, 1987, p. 44; Werner, 2002, p. 44)
Jewish Organizations Involved in Rescue and Relief in Denmark
American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), USA
The JDC allocated $50,000 for maintenance of Danish Jews who escaped to Sweden after October 1943. (See JDC Archives, NYC; Yahil, 1969, pp. 21, 23; EUREXCO files 189-191)
Hebrew Immigrant Aid and Sheltering Society (HIAS), USA
(See HIAS Archives, YIVO, NYC; Yahil, 1969, p. 21)
Hechalutz, Denmark
(Hastrop, Jørgen. 1983. Passage to Palestine: Young Jews in Denmark: 1932-1945. Odense: Odense University Press; Yahil, 1969, pp. 25, 203-207, 335, 377, 390; Yarii Konfrontationer [Confrontations])
Uri Yarii. (Hastrop, Jørgen. 1983. Passage to Palestine: Young Jews in Denmark: 1932-1945. Odense: Odense University Press)
Bertil Grass. (Hastrop, Jørgen. 1983. Passage to Palestine: Young Jews in Denmark: 1932-1945. Odense: Odense University Press)
Benjamin Slor. (Hastrop, Jørgen. 1983. Passage to Palestine: Young Jews in Denmark: 1932-1945. Odense: Odense University Press)
Youth Aliya, Denmark
(Hastrop, Jørgen. 1983. Passage to Palestine: Young Jews in Denmark: 1932-1945. Odense: Odense University Press; Yahil, 1969, pp. 24, 199, 202, 214, 275, 291)
Zionist Youth, Denmark
(Yahil, 1969, pp. 12, 15, 206, 291, 387, 390)
Board of Trustees, Jewish Community, Denmark
(Yahil, 1969, p. 263)
Society of Jewish Women
(Yahil, 1969, p. 24)
Mrs. Melanie Openheim
Committee of the 4th of May, 1933
(Yahil, 1969, p. 18)
Kai Simonsen, Secretary
Jewish Communities in Sweden
(Yahil, 1969, pp. 360, 510 FN 118)
Malmo
Helsingborg
Gothenburg
Stockholm. Raised 215,000 Kroner
Committee for Jewish Agricultural Students “Secretariat”
(Goldberg, p. 26)
Benjamin Solor
Julius Margolinsky
Jewish Individuals Who Aided Jews in Denmark
Mr. Arnheim, Secretary, Stockholm Jewish Community. (Yahil, 1969, p. 504 Fn 53)
Inga Bardfeld, Copenhagen. Successfully warned Jews of impending deportation, 28 September 1943. (Yahil, 1969, p. 207.)
Karl Berman, Malmo, Sweden, Swedish Philanthropist. Helped Jewish refugees and underground. (Yahil, 1969, p. 510 FN 118)
“David” (Jewish), assistant to Aage Bertelsen and co-founder, Lyngby Rescue Group. Activist, co-founder with Aage Bertelsen, inspiration for Lyngby Group. (Bertelsen, 1954, pp. 29-31, 34-37, 68, 70, 74-77, 96-97, 142)
Rabbi Marcus Mordechai Ehrenpreis. Rabbi Marcus Mordechai Ehrenpreis was the Chief Rabbi of Sweden. He was head of a Jewish rescue committee that lobbied the Swedish government for the protection of Jews. He also raised funds for the maintenance of Jewish refugees in Sweden from Norway, Denmark and other countries. Rabbi Marcus Ehrenpreis was also the World Jewish Congress (WJC) representative in Stockholm, Sweden (Persson, 2009, pp. 23, 26, 30-31, 65, 73-74; Yahil, 1969)
Emil Gluck, Veterinary Surgeon. Obtained numerous entry visas to Sweden for Jewish refugees from Denmark. Brother in law of Benjamin Slor. (Yahil, 1969, pp. 22, 505 Fn 53)
Bertil Grass*, Zionist Youth Escape Leader. Killed in Auschwitz. (Goldberger, 1987, p. 40)
Mrs. Ina Haxen. Assistant to Professor Richard Ega and Mrs. Vibke Ega. (Yahil, 1969, pp. 246, 253, 254, 292-294, 311)
Arthur Henriques. (Yahil, 1969, pp. 169, 210)
Carl Bernard Henriques, Supreme Court Attorney, President, Jewish Community. (Bertelsen, 1954, pp. 72, 75; Goldberg, pp. 40-41; Yahil, 1969, pp. 23, 91, 173, 200, 207-222, 262, 373, 389)
Carl Otto Henriques, Banker. (Yahil, 1969, pp. 353, 373)
Fritz Hollander, Committee of Cooperation. (Yahil, 1969, pp. 335-336, 341-342, 351-352, 390)
Professor Stephan Hurwitz, Danish Refugee Office, Stockholm, Sweden. (Yahil, 1969, pp. 247-248, 216; Yad Vashem testimony, Staffeldt 027/13)
Erich Helmuth Julius, Jewish Fisherman. Erich Helmuth Julius was a stateless Jewish fisherman who had lived in Denmark for many years. Transported more than 300 Jewish refugees from Denmark to Sweden. Escaped to England. See Erich Marx. (Yahil, 1969, p. 342)
Gunnar Josephson, Chairman, Jewish Community, Sweden. (Yahil, 1969, p. 336)
Mr. Köpniwsky, Secretary, Stockholm Jewish Community. (Yahil, 1969, p. 504 Fn 53)
Karl Lachmann, Managing Director, Jewish Community, Copenhagen. (Bertelsen, 1954, pp. 72-73; Yahil, 1969, pp. 200, 208, 373, 378; Goldberger, 1987, pp. 47-48)
Axel Margolinsky. (Yahil, 1969, pp. 169, 204, 207, 213, 319, 361-362)
Julius Margolinsky, Committee for Jewish Agricultural Students “Hechalutz Secretariat.” (Bertelsen, 1954, pp. 142-143; Goldberg, p. 26; Yahil, 1969, pp. XII, 22, 263)
Erich Marx, Jewish Fisherman. Erich Marx was a stateless Jewish fisherman who had lived in Denmark for many years. Transported more than 300 Jewish refugees from Denmark to Sweden. Escaped to England. See Erich Helmuth Julius. (Yahil, 1969, p. 342)
Norbert Masur. Norbert Masur was the World Jewish Congress representative in Stockholm, Sweden. (Masur report to Swedish Foreign Office, Swedish Foreign Office Archives [UDA], Stockholm; Masur, 1945; Persson, 2009, pp. 27-28, 161, 194-200, 217; Yahil, 1969, pp. 336-343, 346, 349, 351-352, 374, 377, 390)
Rabbi Dr. Marcus Melchior, Chief Rabbi of Denmark. On September 28, 1943, the day before the Jewsh New Year, Danish government officials warned Rabbi Melchoir of the impending deportation. Rabbi Melchoir then told members of the synagogue that they must prepare for the worst. “I have very important news to tell you. Last night I received word that the Germans plan to raid Jewish homes throughout Copenhagen to arrest all the Danish Jews for shipment to concentration camps. They know that tomorrow is Rosh Hashanah and our families will be home. This situation is very serious. We must take action immediately. You must leave the synagogue now and contact all relatives, friends, and neighbors you know are Jewish and tell them what I have told you. You must tell them to pass the word on to everyone they know is Jewish. You must also speak to all your Christian friends and tell them to warn the Jew. You must do this immediately, within the next few minutes, so that two or three hours from now everyone will know what is happening. By nightfall tonight we must all be in hiding.” (Yahil, 1969, pp. 17, 63, 91, 202, 207, 363-365, 372, 375, 377-381, 392; Melchior, Marcus. A Rabbi Remembers. New York: Lyle Stuart, 1968)
Dr. Adolph Meyer, Community Leader. (Goldberger, 1987, p. 48)
Mrs. Melanie Oppenhejm, Society of Jewish Women. (Yahil, 1969, pp. 24-25)
Ivar Philipson (Sweden), Lawyer, Rescue Leader. Philipson was a Jewish lawyer who acted as a liaison between the Danish underground and the Swedish government. (Yahil, 1969, pp. 336-343, 346, 349, 351-352, 374, 377, 390)
Jørgen Polack. (Yahil, 1969, pp. 336, 350, 374)
S. Adler Rudel, Jewish Agency for Palestine, European Representative, London, England. Jewish Agency for Palestine European representative, London, Sweden. (Yahil, 1969, pp. 25, 234, 235, 295, 306, 309, 312, 334-335)
Kai Simonsen, Secretary, Committee of the 4th of May 1933. (Yahil, 1969, pp. 18-19, 353, 355, 734)
Benjamin Slor, Committee for Jewish Agricultural Students, Hechalutz “Secretariat.” (Yahil, 1969, pp. 15, 18, 21, 22, 205, 213; Goldberger, 1987, p. 26; Yaari, Uri. Konfrontationer [Confrontations] – autobiography)
David Sompolinsky. (Yahil, 1969, pp. 214-216, 232, 254-255, 267, 273)
Hillel (Gilel) Storch, World Jewish Congress (WJC) Representative in Stockholm. (World Jewish Congress Archives; Gilel Storch Archives, Stockholm; Bernadotte, 1945; Favez, 1995, pp. 260-272; Hadenius, 2007; Hewins, 1950; Kersetn, 1947; Marton, 1996; Persson, 2009; Yahil, 1967, pp. 181-220)
Hugo Valetine, Chairman, Zionist Federation, Stockholm, Sweden. (Yahil, 1969, pp. 23, 504 Fn 53)
Uri Yaari. (Yahil, 1969, pp. 204-205, 255)