Pro-Palestinian demonstrators gather outside the Norwegian parliament in Oslo. Photo: Reuters/Berit Roald/NTB

Rising hostility and shifting social norms are prompting many Jews in Norway to withdraw from public life, with school-age children among the most affected, as concerns grow over safety, belonging, and increasing social isolation, according to a new report.

On Monday, the Center for Studies of the Holocaust and Religious Minorities — a research institute under the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development — released a report examining the social environment faced by Jews and Israelis in Norway, pointing to growing concerns over a climate described as increasingly restrictive and hostile.

Increasingly, Jews in Norway report feeling forced to conceal their identity, particularly during transitions between schools and educational stages, with the study warning that this growing invisibility risks further marginalizing one of the country’s smallest minority communities.

“We were already aware that antisemitism in Norway has intensified in the period following Oct. 7, 2023,” Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Bjørnar Skjæran said in a statement, referring to the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel more than two years ago.

“This report now provides concrete documentation of how Jews themselves are experiencing the situation, which is important knowledge for us,” Skjæran continued.

According to these latest findings, Jewish schoolchildren appear especially vulnerable, with parents reporting repeated instances of exclusion and social isolation in classrooms and on school playgrounds.

“It is deeply concerning that Jews in Norway are experiencing insecurity and isolation,” Skjæran said. “I am especially troubled by how exposed Jewish schoolchildren are.”

“Combating antisemitism is a shared responsibility for society as a whole, and this report makes clear that our efforts must not only continue but be significantly strengthened,” he added.

Jews are among the smallest minority groups in Norway, representing one of five officially recognized national minorities. 

The local Jewish community numbers only a few thousand people nationwide, with established religious and cultural institutions concentrated mainly in Oslo. Despite their long history in the country, they remain a highly visible minority due to their small size.

Like most countries across the Western world, Norway has seen a rise in antisemitic incidents over the last two years, in the wake of the Oct. 7 atrocities.

The Norwegian Police Security Service has repeatedly warned that the security environment for Jewish communities has become increasingly unstable, pointing to a clear deterioration in social conditions and a heightened need for protective measures amid rising concerns over targeted violence.

Norway’s Jewish community has also reported growing concern over harassment and social exclusion, as well as an increased reliance on security measures at synagogues, schools, and other communal institutions, saying these developments are placing additional strain on day-to-day Jewish life.