When I moved into Beth Protea a month ago, I noticed the white plastic chairs along the walls in the hallway. Naively I asked why they were there. They then disappeared until another Gaza ceasefire ended and we could again expect rockets, and the white chairs came back – and now I knew why they were there. After a few days, I became one of the users, sitting during an alarm in the middle of the night.
As a Dane during the German occupation of Denmark, where I was born 1936, I learned about getting into a bomb shelter since I was four-years-old. And I have experienced many wars since then. I still keep my Israeli gasmask as a strange souvenir.
My family and I were incredibly lucky to be rescued to Sweden with some other 7,000 Jews, when the Germans started persecuting and arresting the Jews in Denmark. Unfortunately, nearly 500 Danish Jews were arrested and deported to Theresienstadt. Their suffering was indescribable – and I can't help relating to today's terrible suffering by hostages in Gaza.
But luckily most of the Danish Jews deported to Germany were saved towards the end of WWII – rescued to Sweden by "The White Busses" (Bernadotte/Red Cross Operation, April 1945*).
From the above you can't blame me for stating that I see history repeating itself!
On a much lighter note: entering Beth Protea has been a great experience. To meet so much friendliness from each and every one of the staff and residents has been magic – stunning. I feel very welcome and comfortable and am very grateful. The transfer from being on my own in a previous residence to being part of the Beth Protea family has been a great experience.
To each and every one who made me feel like that: a big, big thank you.
History may repeat itself, but at the same time there is great renewal!
*) Swedish diplomat Folke Bernadotte and others negotiated the White Busses operation with German officials, especially ReichsführerHeinrich Himmler. White Busses was a Swedish/Danish humanitarian operation with the objective of freeing Scandinavians in German concentration camps during the final stages of World War II. The Danish prisoners were released from Theresienstadt in mid-April 1945 and brought to Sweden by the so-called White Busses.