The Embassy of Sweden marked a Quartermillenial of Jewish life in Sweden with a cultural evening of art, history, cuisine, and music. The evening, commemorating 250 years of Jewish-Swedish history, was held at the Ambassador’s Residence in Herzliya.

During the reception, guests were able to learn from posters of prominent Swedish Jewish women based on the book “Swedish Jewish Heroines” by Ms. Joanna Rubin Dranger, Ms. Karin Brygger, and Ms. Anneli Radestad, as well as an exhibition on the stories of contemporary young Swedish Jews, based on the @stoltjude social media project, supported by the Jewish Youth Federation of Sweden and the Living History Forum. The guests also enjoyed the rich tastes of Swedish Jewish cuisine.

H.E. Ambassador Alexandra Rydmark welcomed guests to the opening reception, and highlighted the prominence of Jews in Swedish history, and the commitment of the government of Sweden to honoring the shared history, while ensuring a strong future for the Jewish community of Sweden. The ambassador noted the difficult circumstances facing Israel over the last 18 months, and called for a swift end to the war, return of all the hostages, and advancement of peace. Following the ambassador’s remarks, the audience heard from Aron Verstandig, who arrived from Sweden representing the Official Council of Swedish Jewish communities. Mr. Verstandig framed the evening in the context of Jewish history in Sweden, emphasizing the vibrant nature of the current Jewish community and its support from the government of Sweden, including in marking this historic occasion.

The guests also heard from two of the authors of the book “Swedish Jewish Heroines”, who explained their motivation in creating a book that would focus on not just feminist figures, but specifically Jewish Swedish ones, from nobel prize winners to pioneers and innovators, those who were born in Sweden and those who found refuge in Sweden, particularly after World War II. Finally, the formal part of the evening concluded with a contemporary dance performance by a duet of Israeli dancers, set to a musical backdrop of Swedish music.

The reception was just part of a series of events held by the embassy to honor 250 years of Jewish life in Sweden. Among the other events organized under these auspices were a seminar on addressing anti-Semitism, a documentary screening of the Swedish film “The Bridge Players”, and a “Fika Talks” book talk with award-winning author and illustrator Joanna Rubin Dranger and Christer Mattsson, researcher and director of the Segerstedt Institute at the University of Gothenburg, moderated by Human Rights Lawyer Jonatan Macznik, on the topics of Jewish history, identity, and memory.

Steven Aiello

Director, Debate for Peace

Visit our website: http://debateforpeace.org/