The Jewish community in Finland is represented by the Suomen Juutalaisten Seurakuntien Keskusneuvosto (Central Council of Jewish Communities of Finland), the Finnish affiliate of the World Jewish Congress.
Finland
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antisemitism in Finland
WJC Affiliate
Suomen Juutalaisten Seurakuntien Keskusneuvosto (Central Council of Jewish Communities of Finland)
Telephone: +358 9 586 0310
Fax: +358 9 586 03130
Email: srk@jchelsinki.fi
Website: http://www.jchelsinki.fi/en
Telephone: +358 9 586 0310
Fax: +358 9 586 03130
Email: srk@jchelsinki.fi
Website: http://www.jchelsinki.fi/en
Central Council of Jewish Communities of Finland President & WJC Vice President: Yaron Nadbornik
History
The history of Jews in Finland is a relatively recent development, as Jews were initially prohibited from settling in Finland, part of the Swedish Kingdom, until 1809, under Swedish law. When Finland became a grand dukedom of the Russian Empire, the prohibition of Jewish settlement (as well as the Swedish constitution and legal system) prevailed, and there continued to be no Jews in the country.
Jewish history in Finland began in the first half of the 19th century, when Jewish soldiers (known as "Cantonists") serving in the Russian army in Finland were granted permission by Russian military authorities to stay in Finland after completing their military service. Jewish residence in the country was thus governed by a decree from 1858, which allowed Russian soldiers who had completed their service, regardless of religion, to temporarily reside in Finland. Professions permitted to these soldiers were defined in a decree from 1869 and applied also to soldiers of Jewish origin. In 1889, an administrative decree was issued explicitly concerning the residence of Jews in Finland. According to this decree, a number of named Jews were allowed to stay in the country only temporarily and to reside in certain specified cities, receiving residence permits valid for a maximum of six months. The professions open to Jews remained the same as in the 1869 decree. In practice, this meant that Jews continued to earn their living primarily by selling second-hand clothes. Jews were prohibited from participating in markets or conducting trade outside the city in which they lived. Any minor breach of these restrictions led to expulsion from Finland. Children were allowed to stay in Finland only as long as they lived with their parents or remained unmarried. Jews who enlisted in the Russian army while in Finland were not allowed to return to Finland after completing their service.
Between the two World Wars, the Jewish population increased to about 2,000, mainly due to immigration from Soviet Russia following the revolution. Many young Jews studied at the university, and others held professions as doctors, lawyers, and engineers. Many worked in industry and forestry, but the majority continued to work in the textile and clothing sectors. With a few exceptions, Jews did not participate in party politics or any political movements.
The struggle for equal rights for Jews was taken up in the Finnish Diet in 1872. A public debate on Jewish emancipation that started at that time continued through the 1870s and 1880s. However, there was no improvement in the status of Jews in Finland during this period. By the late 1880s, there were about a thousand Jewish inhabitants in Finland. It was not until 1917, when Finland gained independence, and Jews were granted civil rights. On December 22, 1917, the Parliament approved a law concerning “adherents of the Mosaic faith,” which was promulgated on January 12, 1918. According to this law, Jews could, for the first time, become citizens of Finland, and Jews who were not Finnish citizens would henceforth be treated as foreigners in general.
After the end of World War II, almost all Finnish Jews were integrated into Finnish society, and there was a general acceptance of the Jewish community. The War of Independence for the State of Israel in 1948 saw Finnish Jewish volunteers participate at a rate proportionally greater than any other Diaspora community. Emigration, mainly to Israel, contributed to a decline in the Finnish Jewish community that continued throughout the latter half of the 20th century.
Jewish congregations in Helsinki and Turku have Ashkenazi Orthodox synagogues that were built in 1906 and 1912, respectively. The Jewish congregation in Tampere closed its doors in 1981. The congregations belong to the Central Council of Jewish Communities in Finland, a consultative body that handles general matters concerning Jews in Finland. This body is, in turn, a member of the European Council of Jewish Communities and the World Jewish Congress. It also maintains contacts with other congregations in the Nordic countries.
Today, the Finnish Jewish community is well integrated into general Finnish society and can freely and openly practice their religion with relatively little issue.
The years of the Holocaust
During World War II, Finnish Jews continued to enjoy full civil rights without any doubt as to their status as citizens. They fought beside their non-Jewish fellow countrymen in the Winter War, the invasion of Finland by the Soviets in 1939, and later, in a strange twist of history, alongside German soldiers in the Continuation War of 1941 to 1944 as co-belligerents. Approximately 500 Jewish refugees arrived in Finland during World War II, and approximately 350 moved to other countries.
The Jews in Finland were spared the horrors of the Holocaust due to the unwavering position that the Finnish government took against pressure from the Nazis. It is said that when pressed by Nazi SS commander Heinrich Himmler, Finland's Prime Minister Johan Wilhelm Rangell stated, “We have no Jewish question here.” In November 1942, eight Jewish foreign refugees were deported to Nazi Germany after the head of the Finnish police agreed to hand them over. Just one of them survived. When the Finnish media reported the news, a national scandal broke out, the ministers resigned in protest, and no more Jewish refugees were deported from Finland.
Recently, Finland has officially apologized for this dark part of history.
Community Facts
1. When Finland became independent in 1917, Jews immediately gained full civil rights.
2. Most Finnish Jews are descendants of so-called cantonists, Jewish soldiers who served in the Russian army.
3. The Helsingfors community is one of the northernmost communities in the world.
4. Finnish-Swedish Jew Mauritz Stiller was a film director known for discovering Swedish actress Greta Garbo and bringing her to America.
5. One of three synagogues ever built in Finland, the Vyborg Synagogue, was completely destroyed in Soviet air raids during the first day of the Winter War in November 1939. The two others in Helsinki and Turku are still active.
Demography
The Finnish Jewish community estimates that there are more than 2,000 Jews in the country, out of a total population of 5,518,371 as of 2023. There are two Jewish communities in Finland: one in Helsinki with roughly 950 members and another in Turku with less than a hundred members. Both are referred to as the Finnish Jewish Community (FJC).
Jews in Finland are classified as a national minority falling within the scope of application of the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and are even classified unofficially as a “traditional” minority (perinteinen vähemmistö), an ethnic or linguistic minority that has been in Finland for at least several decades. The rights of minorities are protected by the second chapter of Finland’s constitution.
Community Life
The Central Council of Jewish Communities of Finland (Suomen Juutalaisten Seurakuntien Keskusneuvosto) is the leading communal body and is made up of the communities of Helsinki and Turku. It works as a consultative body for Finnish Jewry and a preserver of Jewish heritage in Finland. The Central Council of Jewish Communities of Finland also works in close connection with other Nordic Jewish communities, as well as Estonia.
Jewish life in Finland is largely centered in Helsinki, where there are many communal activities, including a library, choir, elderly home, and institutions such as the Women's International Zionist Organization (WIZO), the Jewish National Fund, Keren Hayesod, and a Maccabi sports club.
The Finnish Jewish Community (FJC) maintains that antisemitism, especially the kind that is expressed through anti-Zionism, is a challenge to the Jewish community of Finland. Due to that, the Jewish community of Helsinki cooperates with the Helsinki District Police, who have arranged daily protection for the community center, as the Jewish primary school and kindergarten operate in the same building. Additionally, religious and faith communities can apply for funding from the Ministry of Education and Culture, with €824,000 budgeted for 2022, from which the Jewish community of Helsinki annually receives €150,000 to improve and maintain its security. However, the Jewish Community of Turku has not received aid for security expenses and improvements.
In 2022, the Finnish Ministry of the Interior, the police, and the Jewish community prepared a joint training session on antisemitism aimed at the police, strengthening ongoing Jewish security efforts. The training was carried out in cooperation with the Anti-Defamation League and will use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism.
Religious and Cultural life
The Jewish communities in Helsinki and Turku both follow Ashkenazi-Orthodox rituals, and each city has a synagogue. There is also a Chabad center in Helsinki. In 2013, Rabbi Simon Livson was appointed chief rabbi and serves the Helsinki Jewish community. There is also a beautiful mikveh (Jewish ritual purity bathhouse) in Helsinki that was rebuilt in 2014. The community employs two Finnish-speaking rabbis in total.
To allow members to fully practice their religion, the congregation maintains and organizes services on weekdays, Sabbaths, and Jewish holidays; ensures an adequate supply of Torah scrolls and other sacred texts and prayer books; maintains a register of mohelim (certified circumcisers for Brit Milah ceremonies), approved by the congregation, that offer circumcision services; organizes bar and bat mitzvah training for the congregation’s youth; maintains a register of authorized marriage officiators; and manages cemeteries and burials. To fulfill these tasks and services, the congregation acquires and maintains synagogues, prayer rooms, cemeteries, chapels, and other necessary facilities.
The Sunday school is intended for all children and youth who do not attend the Jewish school but need education in Jewish religion. The Sunday school is aimed at children who are either 10 or 11 years old, and the entire family is invited to participate in some of the activities and lessons. If a child does not attend the Jewish school, the congregation requires that the child participate in Sunday school before starting Bnei Mitzvah instruction to celebrate their Bat/Bar Mitzvah ceremony at the Helsinki synagogue.
Jewish Education
Gan Jeladim is the only Jewish daycare in Finland, operating within the premises of the Helsinki Jewish Congregation. The daycare has four groups for children aged three to seven, including a preschool class. The daycare accommodates 42 children and is very popular. The children naturally learn about Jewish religion, customs, traditions, and the Hebrew language through daily activities. Every day, the children are served breakfast, lunch, and snacks that are prepared in a kosher kitchen. The congregation's yard features a newly equipped playground that the children use daily.
Finland's first Jewish school began its operations in 1893. This Jewish school operated for only seven years and was forced to close in 1900 due to financial difficulties. Although Finnish Jews were granted civil rights in 1918, making all educational institutions accessible to them, a general Jewish school was seen as a necessity. On the initiative of active parents, the Jewish Community School in Helsinki was founded, starting its operations on November 15, 1918. In 1936, the school's language of instruction changed to Finnish, and the school's name was changed to the Helsinki Jewish Community School (Helsingin juutalainen yhteiskoulu). In 1977, the name was changed to the Jewish School (Juutalainen koulu) following Finland's comprehensive school reform. Today, it has since reverted to its original name, Helsingin Juutalainen Yhteiskoulu, and is a private school maintained by the Helsinki Jewish Congregation that offers basic education. The school is led by a board elected by the congregation's council for a three-year term. Sixty percent of the school's costs are covered by public funding, with the remaining part funded by the Jewish congregation. Education is free of charge, except for possible travel expenses.
In addition to basic education, the school has a special mission to teach Jewish religion, tradition, and Hebrew. The lower grades' religious education also includes the history of the Bible; Hebrew is taught starting in the first grade, while Jewish history is included in history lessons starting in grade six. In 2005, the school introduced the "Tal Am" program into its curriculum; Hebrew is taught in two different groups based on whether Hebrew is a home language or a foreign language. The program has shown good results in the first through fourth grades.
In the mid-1970s, the school had 50 students. In the 2000s, the number of students increased to 113, or about 90 percent of the congregation's school-age children. The increase in the number of students has been influenced by the immigration of Russian and Israeli Jews to Finland, especially to the Helsinki metropolitan area. In addition to Finnish and Swedish, students also speak several other languages at home. Students come to the school from the Helsinki metropolitan area and other parts of Uusimaa, though most are from Helsinki.
The national curricula for primary and secondary as well as upper secondary education were amended in 2010, with an emphasis on strengthening knowledge of fundamental rights as well as discussing the Holocaust from historical as well as ethical perspectives. The National Agency for Education has encouraged schools and educational institutions to make use of the teaching material and tools it has produced in recent years on the topic of the Holocaust. Many upper secondary schools organize courses on the history of the Holocaust, including excursions to Auschwitz or other related museums or memorial sites. Finnish teachers were also trained in teaching the Holocaust at seminars organized by Yad Vashem in Jerusalem in 2008, 2010, 2012, and 2018. According to the FJC, the Holocaust is taught in Finnish schools, but students are not taught about Jewish life and antisemitism.
For adults, Åbo University offers courses in Judaic studies. Chug Ivri, originally founded in the 1920s, is a club for adults who want to study Hebrew. Today, lessons are held at the congregation on Tuesday evenings. Instruction is available at three levels (beginner, intermediate, and advanced). Chug Ivri has historically organized a two-week trip to a kibbutz in the Negev Desert in Israel for several summers. During the trip, participants can familiarize themselves with everyday life in Israel in Hebrew.
Youth
There is an active chapter of the B'nei Akiva youth movement in Finland, and many young Finnish Jews are sent to visit Israel as teenagers through the auspices of the community to foster a sense of Jewish identity and connection to Israel. In Helsinki, BBYO has actively engaged Finnish youth in Jewish programs for the past few years.
Jewish Media
Hakehila, which is nowadays not printed but found online for members of the Jewish community, is published four times a year by the Helsinki Jewish Congregation. The magazine features numerous articles on Jewish culture, religion, history, and religious life both in Finland and worldwide.
The library of the Jewish congregation in Vyborg was founded in 1922 through a collection of congregation members to gather books written in Yiddish, with a total of 80 books being collected. However, Yiddish was not a common literary language among members, so soon after, the majority of the library’s books were in other languages. The collection grew year by year.
During World War II, the library of the Jewish congregation in Vyborg had to be evacuated and was partially moved to the Helsinki Jewish Congregation’s library. Later, about 500 books were donated to the newly established State of Israel, and about 300 books had to be destroyed due to water damage.
Today, the library has about 3,500 books in nine different languages. Jewish literature is well-represented in Finnish public libraries. The library collects Jewish literature as a whole section, encompassing a large part of Jewish and Hebrew literature in Finland and an extensive DVD collection. A rapidly growing part of the library's content is modern Hebrew literature. In Hebrew, the library is called "Sifria," and it refers to the active group that meets every Tuesday in the library to socialize in Hebrew around a theme or just to enjoy.
The Jewish Congregation's library is open during the school year on Tuesdays from 16:00 to 20:00. The library is closed on Jewish and Finnish holidays.
Kosher Food
Kosher groceries, meat, catering services, and more are offered throughout Finland. A list of kosher products and locations here.
Information for visitors
The Fenno Judaica exhibition presents over a hundred years of Jewish history and culture in Finland with materials from the Finnish-Jewish archive. The exhibition's oldest document dates back to 1850.
The leading sites of Jewish interest include the Stolperstein memorials for deported Jewish refugees and a Jewish cemetery where a section is devoted to the Jews who fell in the Finnish Army in the Russo-Finnish and Continuation Wars.
There are two Jewish cemeteries in Helsinki. The older one was opened next to the Finnish Guard's cemetery in the 1840s. The new cemetery was opened further south in Sandudd, Helsinki, in 1895. The cemetery chapel was built in 1951 and designed by K. R. Lindgren. The Helsinki Jewish Congregation's burial society, Chevra Kadisha, handles all arrangements related to burials at the cemetery. The ceremony follows the customs and practices of Orthodox Judaism.
The archives of Finnish Jews, located in the National Archives, can be used by both domestic and foreign researchers. However, a research permit must be obtained from the office of the Helsinki Jewish Congregation.
Relations with Israel
Israel and Finland maintain full diplomatic ties, with formal relations between the two countries established in 1948.
Finland was among the first countries to recognize the State of Israel in 1949, and diplomatic relations were established on November 14, 1950, although the Finnish government announced de facto recognition just a month after Israel’s establishment in June 1948.
There are several similarities between the two countries. They are small, advanced, and innovative nations. Their histories have proven that tenacity is a common denominator among the two people: “sisu” in Finland and “chutzpah” in Israel.
Over the years, bilateral relations have evolved from the trade of paper, timber products, and Jaffa oranges to vibrant and broad cooperation in high-tech, innovations, start-ups, tourism, and culture.
Since October 7th, Finland has taken a clear stance on the matter of Israel’s right to defend itself, while at the same time closely monitoring the situation and evaluating the measures being taken to minimize civilian harm.
Embassy of Israel in Finland:
Yrjönkatu 36 A
00100 Helsinki
Telephone: +358-(0)9-6812020
Fax: +358-(0)9-1356959
Email: info@helsinki.mfa.gov.il
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