Arne Rabuchin

Arne Rabuchin was born in Sweden in 1944, just one year before World War II ended. He is an only child born to parents who fled from Denmark during the occupation. During the war his mother, who was pregnant with him, made her way to Gilleleje, a small fishing village where a large number of Jews hid. Arne’s mother had been hiding in the church in Gilleleje until a woman from the Salvation Army invited her and her parents to stay with her. That same evening the Germans discovered all the Jews hiding in the church and they were subsequently deported to Theresienstadt. After a few days, she boarded a fishing boat to Sweden where Arne was born in April 1944. After their stay in Sweden, he returned to Denmark with his parents in 1945. In the 1980’s Arne immigrated to Israel, where he was drafted to Israel Defense Forces. He later worked for different companies, before retiring. Here, 80 years on, Arne still gets emotional when talking about the rescue of the Danish Jews: “It came from the heart. It’s something you will never forget, it’s such a special thing.” Today Arne is 79 years old and lives in Israel with his children and grandchildren. He spends his time welcoming new immigrants to Israel and volunteering for the Maccabi World Union.