The Jewish Community of Sweden | Web Site |
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DemographySweden’s main Jewish communities are situated in Stockholm, Malmo, and Gothenburg. Small communities are found in Boras and Uppsala, and a number of Jews live in Helsingborg, Lund, Norrkoping, and Vaxjo. The contemporary Swedish community is primarily composed of descendants of pre-war refugees and of Shoah survivors who arrived after the war. It also includes refugees who fled Hungary in 1956 and others who left Poland in 1968. In recent years, Sweden has become home to migrants from the former Soviet Union. HistoryIn the years preceding World War II, Swedish Jews were alert to the dangers facing their co-religionists to the south, but Sweden’s hostility towards the acceptance of refugees prevented many Jews from finding safety there. From 1933 to 1939, 3,000 Jews were accepted into Sweden, and another 1,000 were allowed to use Sweden as a point of transit. By 1942, when the intensity of Nazi brutality began to reveal itself, and Germany’s military fortunes deteriorated, the Swedish government had a dramatic change of heart and welcomed refugees. Sweden’s doors were opened to 900 Norwegian Jews in 1942, setting a precedent for the rescue of Danish Jewry in October 1943. At that time, some 8,000 Danish Jews and partly Jewish relatives or spouses escaped to Sweden on scores of fishing boats and other small seacraft. The remarkable efforts of the Budapest-based Swedish diplomat, Raoul Wallenberg, have been given considerable attention in Sweden, and are a source of national pride. In 1997 the Swedish government established a committee to investigate the issue of Nazi gold transferred to Sweden during the war. CommunityThe communities are linked by the Official Council of Jewish Communities in Sweden. The absorption of thousands of wartime refugees greatly influenced the Swedish community. As a result, Swedish Jewry is particularly active in international Jewish welfare activities and in supporting development projects in Israel. The community includes organizations such as WIZO, the General Organization of Jewish Women, Emunah, B’nai B’rith, and B’nai Akiva. The legal system in Sweden genetrally allows the free expression of anti-Semitic, racist, and xenophobic ideas, including Holocaust denial. Right-wing extremist groups, often with neo-Nazi sympathies, have perhaps a few thousand members. Some of these groups have links to Europe-wide extremist networks. Religious LifeStockholm has three synagogues (two Orthodox, one Conservative) and two rabbis. Synagogues are also operating in Gothenburg (one Orthodox, one Conservative) and Malmo (Orthodox). Because of the law prohibiting shechita, kosher meat is imported and readily available in Stockholm and Malmo. Stockholm boasts several kosher shops. Culture and EducationA Jewish primary school and a separate kindergarten operate in Stockholm. The Judaica House maintains a communal library and hosts activities such as Hebrew-speaking and Yiddish-speaking groups, Israeli dancing, and sporting events. The bimonthly Judisk Kronika is published by the community, and each week a Jewish radio program is broadcast. IsraelIsrael and Sweden have full diplomatic relations. Aliya : Since 1948, 1,465 Swedish Jews have moved to Israel. SitesThe Great Synagogue of Stockholm dates from 1876. There is a small Jewish museum in Stockholm. ContactCouncil of Swedish Jewish Communities
Embassy
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Wahrendorffsgatan 3 B