Knud Christiansen was a Danish rower who competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. His greatest feat, however, was preventing the mass murder of Denmark’s 7,000 Jews on Rosh Hashanah, 1943.

Because of his fame and athletic connections, Knud le...arned of an SS plan to round up all Danish Jews in one mass action during their holy day. Knud coordinated with a large network of friends and associates to hide Jews in every spot available, including his own home.

Starting shortly before Rosh Hashanah, the network hid fugitive Jews in farmhouses, churches, city apartments, and more. Then, during October, November, and December, Knud used his Olympic rowing skills to ferry one Jew at a time across the Øresund Strait. Eventually, the resistance used larger fishing boats to rescue greater numbers of Jews on each trip.

Knud’s entire family participated in the effort: his mother, father-in-law, younger brother and wife were all involved in resistance work.

His wife Karen also published a German language newspaper targeted at Wehrmacht officers. Her writing chronicled SS atrocities against the Jews, as reported in BBC broadcasts. As a result, many German officers stationed in Denmark looked the other way as the Danish people worked together to save the nation’s Jews.

Knud and Karen immigrated to America with their children in 1970. Karen died in 1992.

In 2005, they were honored as "Righteous Among the Nations" by Yad Vashem in Jerusalem.

Knud died at the age of 97 in 2012.

For their courage, compassion and leadership, we honor Knud & Karen Christiansen as our Thursday and Rosh Hashanah Heroes at Accidental Talmudist.

May their memories always be for a blessing!

(Note: Because Rosh Hashanah falls on Thursday next week, our next Thursday Hero will appear in two weeks.)