Finland Saved Its Jews

ANN LANDERS - Syndicated Columnist

February 7, 1997|ANN LANDERS

Dear Ann Landers: I enjoyed reading your column about Denmark and how the country saved its Jewish population. However, little mention is made of what happened in Finland.

With only 2,000 Jews, the Finns did not allow a single one to be harmed while the Germans were in the country. Unfortunately, through a bureaucratic error, eight Austrian Jewish refugees were sent from Finland to Poland, where they perished. In expiation for having allowed such a tragedy, some Finns formed a kibbutz in Israel with the name ``Yad Hashmona,'' which means ``In memory of the eight.''

More than 300 Jews fought in the Finnish army in its struggle against the Soviet Union and against the Germans at the end of the war. Many of Finland's war heroes, officers and enlisted men were Jews.

Portland, Ore.

Dear Portland: Several readers wrote to tell me Finland saved its Jewish population. Read on:

From Staten Island, N.Y.: Although Finland was officially neutral, it allowed the Germans into the country in order to help fight off the Soviets. In 1942, the Finnish prime minister let the Germans know that Finnish Jews were citizens with the same rights as any other Finn.

Oslo, Norway: The only Scandinavian country that actually fought the Germans for the duration of the war was Norway. Denmark allowed the Germans to enter the country without a fight. Sweden was officially neutral. Finland was busy with the Soviets. In Norway, the Germans had to fight inch by inch and lost thousands of troops. On top of that, more than 100 escape routes were set up to help Jews flee into Sweden. I just want to set the record straight. _ A Longtime Reader

Dear L.T.R.: Thank you and all who wrote..


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