Author Topic: Greenlandic Jewish History  (Read 2765 times)

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Greenlandic Jewish History
« on: June 23, 2008, 03:44:46 PM »
This is the only result on all of Google for Jews in Greenland.

http://www.rambam.dk/rambam_sum_12_2003.htm

Jews In Greenland

Although Greenland has been a part of the Kingdom of Denmark for nearly 300 years and a self-governing overseas part of Denmark since 1979, the Jews of Denmark or other countries never found the urge to settle in this beautiful but yet very harsh and cold part of the habitable world. The article is an account of the rather accidental encounter between Jews and Greenland. We know very little about Jews in Greenland before the 20th century. Jews in Holland and Germany were definitely engaged in the Greenland trade. It is however unlikely that many Jewish seamen visited the Greenland trading posts. In 1930 German-born meteorologist, Fritz Loewe had an extreme encounter with the elements in Greenland as a member of a team of scientists under the leadership of the world-famous geologist Alfred Wegener. Dr. Loewe survived the winter of 1930-31 in an igloo on the Greenland central ice sheet, recovering from the amputation of all of his toes, lost to gangrene. His friend Wegener and some other members of his team lost their lives. Nurse Rita Scheftelowitz' stay in Greenland in 1955-56 was much more pleasant. She was visited by Jewish journalist and globetrotter Alfred Joachim Fischer and his wife in 1955. Jewish life in Greenland has been limited to the activities of the northernmost minjan of the world at the US airforce base in Thule. Sixty-eight Jewish servicemen in Thule gathered for the first time for Seder during Pesach of 1955. This was mainly due to the efforts of Lieutenant Maurice Burk. Today Mr. Burk of Kenner, Lousiana, has a vivid recollection of his stay in the perpetual darkness of Thule, which was lightened up by the celebration of Jewish holidays as well as the visit of Bob Hope and his team of entertainers to the base in December 1955. 


Offline MassuhDGoodName

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Re: Greenlandic Jewish History
« Reply #1 on: July 01, 2008, 11:00:56 AM »
Re:  ".Today Mr. Burk of Kenner, Lousiana, has a vivid recollection of his stay in the perpetual darkness of Thule, ...lightened up by the celebration of Jewish holidays as well as the visit of Bob Hope and his team of entertainers to the base in December 1955..."

Nothing "warms" the heart of a Jew above the Arctic circle like knowing that Bob Hope just landed ... and brought Joey Heatherton and Ann Margaret along for the ride!   :-*   :::D