Leif Donde

Leif was born to a Jewish family in the Danish capital of Copenhagen. Both of his parents were active in the Jewish community there, and his father owned a small garment factory. The majority of Denmark's 6,000 Jews lived in Copenhagen before the war. Despite its size, the city's Jewish population supported many Jewish organizations, often aiding Jewish refugees from all over Europe.

1933-39: Leif went to a Jewish nursery school, which was next to a girls' school in Copenhagen. He didn't like his school because they made him take a nap in the afternoon. At school, they learned how to spell and read and sometimes they even sang songs. He played with all kinds of children--some of them were Jewish and some of them were not. Leif didn't really care; they were all his friends.

1940-44: The Germans occupied Denmark in April 1940. For more than three years, the Danish government (which maintained significant autonomy) was able to protect Danish Jews. However, that changed after the Danish government resigned on August 29, 1943, and the Germans imposed martial law. Roundups of Jews started on October 1, and Leif’s parents decided to flee. His father told them to prepare to leave the city. His parents were scared but it seemed like an adventure to Leif. They collected warm clothes and took a train south. In October they were smuggled to Sweden on a fishing boat.

After German troops in Scandinavia surrendered on May 4, 1945, Leif and his family returned to Denmark.