| |
:: 50th Anniversary
of the Rescue of the Danish Jews
Oct 3, 1993
Program
| Opening Prayer |
Rabbi Harold Kudan
Am Shalom Congregation, Glencoe |
| Historic Background |
Charles Meyer
Washburne Jr. High School, Winnetka |
| Reading of the Pastoral Letter |
Pastor Karen Knutson, Danish Lutheran
Minister living in Denmark during the war |
| Reading of the Action Notice |
Betty Werrenwrath |
| Laying of the Wreath |
Girl Scouts, Evanston Troop 18
Boy Scouts, Evanston Troop 3 |
| Presentation of the Scroll |
Robert Armbruster, President
Avenue of the Righteous |
| Closing Prayer |
Trude Marks
Baha'I Community, Wilmette |
The Action Notice
We could not yield to the German threats when the Jews'
well being was at stake. Nor can we yield today, when hard punishment,
torture and the probability of death in Germany await su if we help
our Jewish fellow countrymen. We have helped them. We shall go on
helping them by all the means at our disposal! The episodes of the
past two nights have to us become a part of Denmark's fate, and
if we desert the Jews in this hour of their misery, we desert our
beloved Denmark!
My God. My country. My honour.
Carl Johannes Hammerich-Monberg
Greatadmiral - Chief of Defense
This Action Notice appeared on the front page of the resistance
newspaper Frit Denmark published by the Freedom Council, the elite
governing committee for all resistance groups in Denmark. It was
distributed immediately after the arrest and imprisonment of Danish
Jews in the first days of October, 1943. "My God. My Country. My
honour." was the motto of King Christian X of Denmark.
The Pastoral Letter
The Danish bishops have forwarded the following communication
to the leading German authorities through the heads of the government
departments.
Wherever Jews are persecuted as such on racial or religious grounds
the Christian Church is duty bound to protest against this action:
- Because we can never forget that the Lord of the Christian
Church, Jesus Christ, was born in Bethlehem of the Virgin Mary
according to God's promise to His Chosen People, Israel. The
history of the Jewish people before the birth of Jesus contains
the preparation for the salvation God has prepared for all mankind
in Christ. This is shown by the fact that the Old Testament
is part of our Bible.
- Because persecution of the Jews conflicts with that recognition
and love of man that are a consequence of the gospel which the
church of Jesus Christ was founded to preach. Christ is no respector
of persons, and He has taught us to see that every human life
is precious in the eyes of God.
- Because it conflicts with every concept of justice which prevails
in the Danish people, settled in our Christian culture for centuries.
In consequences of this, equal rights and responsibility before
the law, and freedom of religion. These are secured to all Danes
according to the constitution.
We regard religious freedom as the right to worship God according
to voaction and conscience and that neither race or religion can
deprive any citizen of rights, liberty or property. Despite differences
of religious opinion, we fight for the right of our Jewish brothers
and sisters to preserve the same liberty that we prize more highly
than life itself!
The leaders of the Danish Church are fully aware of our duty
to be law abiding citizens, who do not set themselves up againt
those exercising authority over us, but at the same time we are
in conscience bound to unequivocally acknowledge the words that
we should obey God rather than Man.
H. Fuglsang Damgaard
Archibishop of Copenhagen
Countersigned by all Bishops of
the Lutheran Church in Denmark
:: Sponsors of the 50th Anniversary
Event
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AVENUE
OF THE RIGHTEOUS
Background