rs Of Thanks
Area schoolchildren and the JCCouncil remember
Danish heroism in saving Jews from the Nazis.
LESLEY PEARL STAFF WRITER
THE DETROI T J E WIS H
Marshall Fredericks
accepts the letters from
the JeCouncll's
Jeannie Weiner.
n 1943, a decision by
King Christian X of Den-
mark saved Allan Sko-
ropa's family from
Adolph Hitler's Final So-
lution.
Last Thursday, Mr.
Skoropa joined the Jew-
ish Community Council
and area schoolchild-
ren in thanking the
Danish government on the 50th
anniversary of Denmark's defi-
ance of the Nazis.
More than 100 letters, some
brightly colored with paint and
glitter and others written care-
fully, came from students of
Congregations Beit Kodesh,
Beth Shalom and Shaarey
Zedek, Temples Kol Ami and Is-
rael and Shir Shalom, Jewish
Parents Institute, Workmen's
Circle School and members of
the Jewish Educators Council.
They were given to Marshall
Fredericks, honorary Danish
consul in Detroit.
Mr. Fredericks will deliver
the messages to Danish Queen
Margarethe.
Mr. Skoropa, a Birmingham
resident, found out about the
JCCouncil's project when he an-
swered an advertisement in The
Jewish News looking for saved
Danes. JCCouncil employee Al-
lan Gale also had family res-
cued.
Sept. 29, 1943, Paul and
Rachel Skoropa joined about
7,500 other Danish Jews in syn-
agogue the day before Rosh
Hashanah. A German raid on
Jewish homes had been
planned. However, Danish law
prevented the breaking down
of residential doors — the
Gestapo could only arrest those
Jews at home who answered
the door.
Fewer than 500 of Den-
mark's 8,000 Jews were ar-
rested.
The Swedish government
took in the Danish Jews. Dan-
ish gentiles preserved Jewish
homes and businesses.
"My parents, my family, they
were not saved because they
were Jewish. They were saved
because they were Danes," Mr.
Skoropa said.
Mr. Skoropa grew up with
this story. As a child, he felt his
history paled in comparison to
the horror stories of survivors
who watched their families per-
ish.
"Often it takes an anniver-
sary to bring out the signifi-
cance of an action," Mr. Skoropa
said.
In addition to collecting the
works of students, the JC-
Council provided historical
background of the Danish ac-
tion and commemorative stick-
ers to area educators and
students. El