Denmark’s Ambassador to the United States, Torben Ronne, received the Jewish Welfare Fund’s Shofar Award last night at the organization’s 29th annual meeting here. The award, presented by the entire Chicago Jewish community, honors the Government and people of Denmark for their “courage, humanity and indomitable will,” in rescuing virtually the entire Jewish population of Denmark from the Nazis in 1943.
Morris Classer, president of the Jewish Welfare Fund, said the Ambassador was invited to the meeting to permit the Jewish Welfare Fund “to express our boundless gratitude for the role played by the people of Denmark.”
Speaking to more than 700 leaders of the Chicago Jewish community, Ambassador Ronne said: “The Nazi occupation of Denmark made it clear that a policy of neutrality cannot keep a country out of wars.” Consequently, he said, Denmark now tries to help preserve world peace through direct political relations with many states outside of Europe.
David Jacker, a member of the board of the Jewish Welfare Fund, was chairman of the annual meeting committee. Reports on the stewardship of the Jewish Welfare Fund were also made by Mr. Glasser and by Samuel A. Goldsmith, executive vice-president.
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