Because we should never forget the horrors of the holocaust, I was drawn to this museum from reading about the history of the Jews in Denmark on the plane to Copenhagen. The Danish Jewish Museum, a part of the Royal Library, sits off an austere somewhat hidden street, a passage. As you turn into the site, the property opens into a serene pond, a calm, reassuring peace takes over you.....you see a small nest in this pond, a symbol that yes, here too, you can. There's a beautiful ivied building (the library, HOME) and to its left, a somewhat discreet entrance to the main museum and the first words you read is Mitzvah.
Chabad.org defines mitzvah as, "In common usage, a mitzvah often means "a good deed"--as in "Do a mitzvah and help Mrs. Goldstein with her packages." This usage is quite old--the Jerusalem Talmud commonly refers to any charitable act as "the mitzvah."
It is this definition of mitzvah that swelled in my consciousness when I walked through the museum, its two collections: the artifacts and the Home (the Jewish experience after returning home from WWII). The Danes and the Swedes protected the Jews during WWII. The artifacts are classic immigrant symbols of survival, tradition and religion. The angled floors and walls remind one of how a passenger felt on the boat from Denmark to Sweden; the rocking sensation also symbolized the anxiety one felt when they arrived to their new home, a new country. The stories at HOME, were compelling.
For their mitvahs, I am in awe of the Danish and Swedish people. Through this museum, I've seen tolerance, protection of human beings......chillingly admirable. Today many of us seek reparation for the wrongs committed in history. Destruction of a culture of people is wrong in every sense perceivable. We hope to get there. This museum is a symbol to the world of tolerance, protection and........ because we should never forget.
Visits: 1
Tip: Use your Copenhagen card here and many other museums that are free with a card. Most museums close for lunch 12-1 and close at 4pm, check the websites. read more