Sweden is home to a significant Jewish community with a relatively recent history. Famous for its rescue efforts during the Holocaust, the country today faces rising antisemitism and religious harassment. Read on for 9 facts about the Jews of this Scandinavian country.
1. Aaron Isaac Was a Jewish Pioneer
For much of Sweden’s history, the Lutheran denomination of Christianity was the only religion permitted in the country, and all newcomers who wished to settle there were required to be baptized. The first Jew to be granted an exception was Aaron Isaac, a skilled seal engraver from Germany whose talents were in demand. In 1774, special permission was granted to Isaac and several fellow Jews to settle in Sweden without renouncing their faith.
2. King Gustav Issued “Jewish Regulations”
In 1782, King Gustav III issued the Judereglementet, a set of regulations governing Jewish settlement. Influenced by the spirit of the Enlightenment, the new rules opened the door for Jews to settle in Sweden—but with significant limitations. Only well-to-do Jews were permitted entry, and they were restricted to three cities and certain professions, among other conditions. These regulations remained in place for over 50 years, until most restrictions were lifted in 1838.
3. The Winds of Change Brought Spiritual Danger
While the 1838 reforms were welcomed by the Jewish community, they also posed a spiritual challenge. As in neighboring Germany, many Jews assimilated into broader society, and synagogues began incorporating reforms into their prayers and services. The trajectory of Swedish Jewry shifted in the late 1800s, when increased persecution in Eastern Europe brought a wave of immigrants to Sweden. These new arrivals maintained their traditional Jewish lifestyle and established Orthodox synagogues—such as Adat Jisrael in Stockholm, founded in 1870.
4. It Was Part of the Sixth Rebbe’s Escape Route
When Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, the Sixth Rebbe, was in Otwock, a suburb of Warsaw. In a daring and treacherous operation, the Rebbe was rescued from the flames of war-torn Europe. He first traveled by train to Riga, Latvia, along a roundabout route that passed through—of all places—Berlin. From Riga, he flew to Stockholm, Sweden (the only time he ever traveled by plane). Next, he went by train to Gothenburg where he boarded the S.S. Drottningholm, arriving safely in New York on 9 Adar, 5700 (March 19, 1940).
Fun fact: During the Rebbe’s short stay in Gothenburg, he expressed his wish that a mikvah be built in the city—a wish that has since been fulfilled.
5. The Country Saved the Jews of Denmark from Annihilation
One of the most extraordinary rescue efforts of the Holocaust unfolded in Denmark in October 1943. When word spread that the Gestapo was planning to deport the country’s Jews, ordinary Danish citizens opened their homes to their Jewish neighbors, shielding them from the Nazis. Working together with the Swedish government, some 7,500 Jews were then evacuated by boat to nearby Sweden, which had remained neutral during the war. Thanks to these remarkable efforts, an astounding 99% of Danish Jewry survived the Holocaust.
6. Raoul Wallenberg Saved Thousands of Lives
In July 1944, a young Swedish diplomat named Raoul Wallenberg arrived in Budapest with an audacious mission: to do whatever he could to save what remained of Hungarian Jewry. Over the next six months, Wallenberg courageously rescued tens of thousands of Jewish lives through bold and ingenious methods. He issued some 15,000 special Swedish passports—called Schutzpasses—that granted their holders immunity from deportation, and he rented 32 “safe houses” throughout Budapest where 35,000 Jews lived under Swedish protection. After the war, he was captured by the Soviets and vanished, his fate a mystery to this day.
Read: Remembering a Hero
7. Chabad Chassidim Served as Rabbis
In 1932, the Previous Rebbe sent Rabbi Yaakov Yisroel Zuber to lead the Jewish community in Stockholm. Over the next sixteen years, Rabbi Zuber worked energetically to strengthen Jewish life in the city. Among his many efforts, he fought to preserve traditional slaughtering methods when the Swedish government decreed that animals must be stunned before slaughter.1 After World War II, he worked to find halachic solutions to allow Holocaust survivors who did not have confirmation of their spouses’ death (agunot) to remarry. When he left in 1948, he was succeeded by another Chabad rabbi, Rabbi Meir Chaim Chaikin, who served there devotedly until 1951.
8. Yiddish Is an Official Language
Unlike many other European countries, the Jewish population of Sweden actually grew after World War II, as many refugees chose to settle there. Later waves of immigrants arrived from Communist countries, fleeing religious persecution. Thanks to the significant number of Yiddish speakers who made Sweden their home, Yiddish is recognized as one of Sweden’s five official minority languages. In fact, some government agencies even offer a Yiddish option on their websites!
Read: 13 Facts About Yiddish
9. Chabad Brings Light to the Darkness
In 1991, the Rebbe sent Rabbi Alexander and Mrs. Leah Namdar to Gothenburg to strengthen Jewish life in the city and across the country. Since then, other emissaries have joined them, serving Jewish communities in Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö. It isn’t always easy—antisemitism is on the rise, and even basic rights like providing a Jewish education can be a struggle. But Chabad has risen to the challenge, and Jewish life continues to flourish in this Scandinavian country.
Watch: Welcoming G‑d in Sweden
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