The Wandering Jew

The Jewish Home | SEPTEMBER 1, 2022

The Wandering Jew Scandinavian Journeys Denmark

By Hershel Lieber

One of the first countries that Pesi and I traveled to together was Denmark. That was the first leg of our 1979 journey to Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and the Soviet Union. Although we only stayed there for about six hours, we still have fond memories of that day.

Denmark’s wartime history fascinated me, and I felt that visiting this country was a form of recognition and gratitude. The Danes’ rescue of its Jewish citizens was unique. During a period when most nations either acquiesced to the Nazi demands to deport its Jewish residents or at times even collaborated in that effort, the Danes helped save its Jews. The heroic and spectacular feat of helping transport by small fishermen boats almost all of Denmark’s 8,000 Jews in the course of one night to neutral Sweden was nothing short of a miracle. Over ninety percent of Danish Jews escaped the Nazi nightmare and lived through the War, whereas over ninety-percent of Jews of some other nations were murdered during the Holocaust. This historical anomaly was definitely a factor in us wanting to visit Denmark.

We arrived in Copenhagen very early in the morning on Monday, April 30. I had not davened on the plane as it was still too dark outside. After exiting the airport, we took a taxi directly to the Great Synagogue where the Chief Rabbi Marcus Melchior officiated. I came in rather late but quickly caught up and was honored with taking out the Torah. There was barely a minyan of mispallelim, but I was glad to daven b’tzibbur and meet the famous rabbi who was instrumental in facilitating the rescue of Denmark’s Jewry. Pesi went up to the women’s gallery to daven and was able to see all the proceedings.

It was a coldish day and somewhat windy. We went to buy a hot drink and sat ourselves in the lobby of a hotel on the Radhuspladsen, the main city square, where we ate the sandwiches we had brought along. We then strolled along Stroget, looking into the show windows of shops, many of which were still closed. The weather was not that pleasant so we decided to take a two-hour bus tour which would provide us with a relaxing way to get to know the city. This idea was actually great. There were so few tourists that we a had a forty-seat bus for ourselves. The driver narrated a two-hour excursion that covered all the famous sights in the city. We passed the Palace Square and watched the changing of the guards at Amalienborg Palace, the winter residence of Queen Margrethe II, the reigning monarch of Denmark. We were shown the Rosenberg Palace and the Round Tower. We saw the colorful houses lining Nyhavn Port and the “Little Mermaid” statue in the harbor. We passed by the world-famous Tivoli Gardens, which is the second oldest amusement park in the world. It had not yet opened for the season. In short, we saw most of the major sights in complete comfort of a warm bus. Upon returning to the Radhuspladsen, we headed back to the airport after promising ourselves to return one day when we are able to stay longer.

And return we did – almost twenty-five years later, in August of 2003. After spending eleven days at the Lauder Summer Retreat in Poland teaching and lecturing on Yiddishkeit to Polish Jews, we returned for a three-day stay in “Wonderful, Wonderful Copenhagen.”

After arriving Monday at noon and checking into a hotel facing the Radhuspladsen, we ate the sandwiches that we brought along from the Lauder Summer Retreat. In fact, there were no kosher restaurants in all of Denmark. There was one store that sold some kosher products from Israel. Over ninety-percent of the items were in the categories of cookies, Copenhagen Round Tower

Planning an itinerary for Malmo

On the tour bus in Copenhagen in 1979 The interior of Copenhagen’s Synagogue Copenhagen street scene

crackers, condiments, chocolates and other nosh. Very few food items were suitable for lunches or suppers. We were aware of this issue, so we took along bread, cheese, tuna and salami from Poland and bought fruits and vegetables to supplement our meals.

After strolling for about two hours on the Stroget and eating supper in our room, we took a bus to one of the city’s many parks to see a Vietnamese puppet show. The show was a bit juvenile, but the scenery and puppetry were playful, colorful and a treat for our eyes. We were sitting on a park bench and enjoying the production, all the while keeping our eyes on the overcast skies. Suddenly, we felt some droplets of rain, but with-

in seconds a torrential rainfall fell on us which soaked us to the bone. There was nowhere to run or to hide. The old man next to Pesi extended his umbrella over her, which helped a bit, but I was completely drenched! At that point, we

decided to continue watching the show since we could not any wetter than we were. We did leave before it was over and laughed about this experience all the way back to our room.

Our main activity the next day was a walking tour that covered the main historical attractions of Copenhagen. Our guide met us by the statue of Hans Christian Andersen. Andersen was a noted and prolific Danish author who is most famous for his children’s fairy tales such as “The Ugly Duckling” and “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” He wrote over 160 fairy tales between 1835 and 1848 which were translated into 120 languages. He is still beloved and treated as a national treasure. Our guide was elegantly

There was nowhere to run or to hide.

Tivoli Gardens At Tivoli Gardens Amalienborg Palace, 1979

dressed as Andersen would have been in his times and conducted the tour in the guise of the famous writer. He was humorous and well versed in the history and culture of Denmark. I specifically remember the tour of the Rosenberg Palace and the Round Tower. The tower was unusual in that horse-drawn carriages could enter on the lower level and drive up a curved incline to the roof of the tower. We also went to the top, where we had a panoramic view of a good portion of the city. The remainder of the day was spent looking into shops and relaxing in our room.

Our final day in Copenhagen was actually spent in Malmo, Sweden. There is a train crossing a bridge over the Strait of Oresund, and it only takes thirty-five minutes to reach the center of Malmo. It is Sweden’s third largest city and offers many attractions for tourists. There is a large Muslim population in that city which makes up almost fifteen percent of its inhabitants. We basically walked around the city blocks and traversed two major parks. The most enjoyable part was our canal boat excursion which passed under many bridges and along buildings, both old and new, with architecture both of the traditional and modern genre.

When we returned to Copenhagen, we knew that we had one more sight to see and experience, Tivoli Gardens. This amusement park, which opened in 1843, was much more than a venue for rides. Many, like its wooden roller coaster, are over one hundred years old. There are multiple pleasure gardens and attractive eating establishments spread over its fifteen acres. Entertainment in the form of both music and theater are daily features. An aquarium, gaming arcades and pantomime productions combined with periodic festivals and parades make this an excellent place to visit. We stayed a long time and were fortunate to catch the illuminations and music of a light and sound show by the fountains followed by spectacular fireworks. We were at many amusement parks over the years, especially with our children, but Tivoli Gardens was truly someplace special.

We returned back to our hotel room tired but exhilarated and began packing for our return flight back home.

Hershel Lieber has been involved in kiruv activities for over 30 years. As a founding member of the Vaad L’Hatzolas Nidchei Yisroel he has traveled with his wife, Pesi, to the Soviet Union during the harsh years of the Communist regimes to advance Yiddishkeit. He has spearheaded a yeshiva in the city of Kishinev that had 12 successful years with many students making Torah their way of life. In Poland, he lectured in the summers at the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation camp for nearly 30 years. He still travels to Warsaw every year – since 1979 – to be the chazzan for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur for the Jews there. Together with Pesi, he organized and led trips to Europe on behalf of Gateways and Aish Hatorah for college students finding their paths to Jewish identity. His passion for travel has taken them to many interesting places and afforded them unique experiences. Their open home gave them opportunities to meet and develop relationships with a variety of people. Hershel’s column will appear in The Jewish Home on a bi-weekly basis.