The Rt. Rev. Msgr. Joseph Kerkhofs, former Bishop of Liege, who aided many Jews here and was active in the resistance against the German occupation army during World War II, died here on New Year’s Day. He was 84.
Msgr. Kerkhofs was instrumental in saving many Jews, especially children, during the German occupation. On his initiative, many Jewish children were hidden in Catholic institutions and in the homes of private Belgian families.
One of the Jews whose life he saved was the rabbi of Liege. The Bishop sheltered the rabbi in his own palace. The rabbi wore the garb of a Catholic monk at that time, declaring later that he saw no religious offense in wearing a cassock. Three other Jews were also saved by the Bishop, who hid them in his palace.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
