History of the Jews in Finland

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Jews in Finland
Suomen juutalaiset
יהדות פינלנד

Ben Zyskowicz20110226.jpgRuben Stiller.JPGMauritz Stiller 1927.jpg
Ben Zyskowicz • Ruben Stiller • Mauritz Stiller
Total population
about 1,500[1]
Regions with significant populations
Helsinki (80% of the Finnish Jewish community), Turku (13%), Tampere (3%)[1]
Languages

Finnish, Swedish
Religion

Judaism
Related ethnic groups

Russians in Finland, Finnish Tatars

Finnish Jews are Jews who are citizens of Finland. The country is home to approximately 1,500 Jews, who mostly live in Helsinki.[1] Jews came to Finland as traders and merchants from other parts of Europe.

Contents

History [edit]

The first Jew said to have settled on Finnish soil was Jacob Weikam, later Veikkanen, in 1782, in the town of Hamina which was at that point under Russian rule. During that time, most of Finland was included in the Kingdom of Sweden. In Sweden, Jews were allowed to reside in a few towns—all of them outside the territory that is now modern-day Finland. In 1809 Finland became part of the Russian Empire, as an autonomous Grand Duchy, but Swedish laws remained in force, meaning Jews were still unable to settle in Finnish territory.[2]

Despite the legal difficulties, during the period of Finnish autonomy (1809–1917) Russian Jews established themselves in Finland as tradesmen and craftsmen. As Jews were in principle prohibited from dwelling in Finland, almost all these Jews were retired soldiers from the Imperial Russian army. Being cantonists, forced into the Russian army in childhood, they were required to serve at least 25 years. After their term expired, they had, however, the right to remain in Finland regardless of Finnish ban on Jewish settlement, a right forcefully defended by the Russian military authorities. It was only after Finland declared its independence, in 1917, that Jews were granted full rights as Finnish citizens.

World War II [edit]

Finland's involvement in World War II began during the Winter War, a Soviet Union invasion prior to Operation Barbarossa. A total of 204 Finnish Jews fought in the Finnish Army during the Winter War, of whom 27 were killed.[3] Finnish Jews were among those made refugees after the Red Army conquered Karelia.[4] Finnish national anger at the outcome of that war led to Finland's involvement in the Continuation War (1941–1944)—while Germany launched Barbarossa, Finland resumed hostilities simultaneously. This resulted in a democratically-ruled Finland fighting alongside Nazi Germany. Because it was not a totalitarian state dominated by the Nazi party, Finnish Jews were not subject to the mass persecution and genocide of the rest of Europe. As they were never invaded by Germany, Finland's Jews did not meet the same fate as Russia's, with the genocide perpetrated by or under the cover of the occupying Wehrmacht. Approximately 300 Finnish Jews fought in the Continuation War. As Finland's forces had substantial German Army forces in support of their operations, the Finnish front was almost certainly unique in having a field synagogue operate in the presence of Nazi troops.[5][6]

Approximately five hundred Jewish refugees arrived in Finland, though about three hundred and fifty moved on to other countries. About 40 of the remaining Jewish refugees were sent for work service in Salla in Lapland in March 1942. The refugees were moved to Kemijärvi in June and eventually to Suursaari island in the Gulf of Finland. It was believed that there they would not be able to have easy contact with influential Finnish Jews[citation needed].

In November 1942, eight[7] foreign Jewish refugees were handed over to Nazi Germany,[8] a fact for which Finnish prime minister Paavo Lipponen issued an official apology in 2000.[9] No further foreign Jewish refugees were deported from Finland after protests by the Lutheran ministers, the Archbishop and The Social Democratic Party.

Also around 1942 an exchange of Soviet POWs took place between Finland and Germany. Approximately 2,600 - 2,800 Soviet prisoners of war of various nationalities then held by Finland were exchanged for 2100 Soviet POWs of Finnic nationalities (Finnish, Karelian, Ingrian, or Estonian) held by Germany, who might have volunteered in the Finnish army. About 2000 of the POW handed over by Finland joined the Wehrmacht. Among the rest there were about 500 people (mainly Soviet political officers) who were considered politically dangerous in Finland. This latter group most likely perished in concentration camps or were executed. Based on the a list of names, there were 47 Jews among the extradited, though they were not extradited based on religion.[10]

Later in the war, Germany's ambassador to Helsinki Wipert von Blücher concluded in a report to Hitler that Finns would not endanger their citizens of Jewish origin in any situation.[11] According to historian Henrik Meinander, this was realistically accepted by Hitler.[11]

Yad Vashem records that 22 Finnish Jews died in the Holocaust, although all of them died fighting for the Finnish Army. Two Jewish officers of the Finnish army and one female Lotta Svärd member were awarded German Iron Crosses, but they would not accept them.[12]

Today [edit]

The synagogue of Turku

During the Israeli War of Independence in 1948, about 28 Finnish Jews, mostly Finnish Army veterans, fought for Israel. After Israel's establishment, Finland had a high rate of aliyah (immigration to Israel), which depleted the Jewish community. The community was somewhat revitalized when some Soviet Jews immigrated to Finland following the collapse of the Soviet Union.[4][13]

The number of Jews in Finland in 2010 is approximately 1,500, of whom 1,200 live in Helsinki, about 200 in Turku, and about 50 in Tampere.[1] The Jews are well integrated into Finnish society and are represented in nearly all sectors. Most of the Finnish Jews are corporate employees or self-employed professionals.[1]

Most Finnish Jews speak Finnish or Swedish as their mother tongue. Yiddish, German, Russian, and Hebrew are also spoken in the community. The Jews, just like Finland's other traditional minorities, as well as immigrant groups, are represented on the Advisory Board for Ethnic Relations (ETNO).

There are two synagogues: one in Helsinki and one in Turku. Helsinki also has a Jewish day school which serves about 110 students (many of them the children of Israelis working in Finland), and a Chabad Lubavitch rabbi is based there.

Historically, antisemitic hate crimes have been rare, and the Jewish community was relatively safe. However, antisemitism has recently increased. In 2011, Ben Zyskowicz, the first Finnish-Jewish parliamentarian, was assaulted by a man shouting antisemitic slurs.[14] In November 2012, the security officer of the Helsinki community said that 6-10 antisemitic incidents were taking place every month, and advised Jews to avoid wearing their kippahs in public.[15]

See also [edit]

References [edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e The Jewish Community of Helsinki: A Short History of the Finnish Jewry
  2. ^ Jewish Heritage Europe - Finland
  3. ^ http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/1134/finland-where-jews-fought-on-the-side-of-the-nazis/
  4. ^ a b Hannu Reime (8 October 2010). "Un-Finnish business". Haaretz. 
  5. ^ Vuonokari, Jews in Finland During the Second World War
  6. ^ Suomen juutalaiset sotaveteraanit saivat muistopaaden MTV3. 2002-04-28. Retrieved 2010-02-26.(Finnish)
  7. ^ Dr. Georg Kollman, Frans Olof Kollman, Mother of Frans Kollman (Mrs. Kollman?), Hans Eduard Szubilski, Heinrich Huppert, Kurt Huppert, Hans Robert Martin Korn (who had been a volunteer in the 1939 winter war) and an unknown individual, according to The Holocaust by Martin Gilbert, pg. 534, 715 ISBN 0-03-062416-9 (1985).
  8. ^ Cohen, William B. and Jörgen Svensson (1995). Finland and the Holocaust. Holocaust and Genocide Studies 9(1):70-93.
  9. ^ Jews in Finland During the Second World War by Tuulikki Vuonokari (2003): University of Tampere website. Retrieved 3 August 2006.
  10. ^ Jukka Lindstedt: Juutalaisten sotavankien luovutukset. Historiallinen aikakauskirja 2/2004: 144-165
  11. ^ a b Meinander, Henrik (2009). Suomi 1944. Siltala. p. 17. ISBN 978-952-234-003-0. 
  12. ^ STT-IA. "Juutalaiset sotilaat taistelivat saksalaisten rinnalla Suomen itsenäisyyden puolesta". 1997 12 5. Verkkouutiset. Retrieved 2011 12 5. 
  13. ^ http://www.cjp.org/page.aspx?id=143685
  14. ^ http://www.jpost.com/JewishWorld/JewishNews/Article.aspx?id=223373
  15. ^ http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4302376,00.html

Further reading [edit]

External links [edit]
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