Source: Government of Sweden
Published
On Tuesday 10 June, the Government’s Task Force for Jewish Life held a meeting at the Living History Forum. The agenda included the Government’s recently adopted strategy to strengthen Jewish life and combat antisemitism in Sweden.
The meeting began with Minister for Culture Parisa Liljestrand informing the Task Force on the Government’s strategy to strengthen Jewish life and combat antisemitism that was adopted on 15 May. This strategy will provide a structure for national efforts in the period 2025–2034. The Government’s objective is to lay the foundations for more targeted and coordinated efforts and create better conditions for Jewish life in Sweden.
– The gathering of the Task Force is of great importance – it brings together knowledge, experience and commitment and contributes to long term solutions that strengthen Jewish life and combat antisemitism in Sweden. The dialogue in the Task Force has contributed to the drafting of the strategy. I look forward to the Task Force also being a supporting force in the work ahead to anchor and advance the strategy, says Minister for Culture Parisa Liljestrand.
Director of the Living History Forum Petra Mårselius then spoke about the Government agency’s mission, its activities and current exhibitions.
The Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention has been tasked with producing knowledge about the Jewish minority’s vulnerability to antisemitism. Sara Merenius, project manager at the Council, informed the working group about the authority’s final report of the assignment.
The meeting concluded with a guided tour of three exhibitions: one on what it is like to live as a young Jew in Sweden, another that highlights Sweden’s National minorities and a third on how propaganda was used by the Nazi regime and the Soviet Union.
Task force for Jewish life in Sweden
The Government’s Task Force for Jewish life was presented in January 2023. It is an interministerial working group tasked with collaborating and conducting dialogue on preventive measures and efforts to improve the conditions for Jewish life and prevent and combat antisemitism in Sweden. The Government’s efforts to combat antisemitism are a priority and focus on three areas: education, increasing the safety and security of Jews in Sweden, and fostering Jewish life in Sweden.
The task force is led by State Secretary to the Prime Minister Johan Stuart and also includes state secretaries from several different ministries. The task force includes three civil society organisations: the Official Council of Swedish Jewish Communities, Judiska Ungdomsförbundet (the Jewish Youth Association) and the Jewish Committee Against Antisemitism. Representatives of relevant government agencies, organisations and other experts also take part.