Police in Norrkoping, Sweden, are investigating after someone left a hate-filled message and a group of dolls hanging outside a synagogue there on the first day of Passover, March 28.
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According to a post from the Anti-Defamation League, the note referred to Passover being a "Jewish celebration of killing thousands of Egyptian children." The ADL also posted a photo of some of the hanging dolls with what appeared to be red paint or markers on them.
The ADL also noted that the neo-Nazi Nordic Resistance Movement posted the incident, including a photo taken at night that showed even more dolls hanging outside. In its tweet, the ADL said: "We urge the police to take quick action against such intimidation and harassment."
A local news website reported that police would patrol the synagogue during the remainder of the holiday, which continues through Sunday night. Norrkoping is about 100 miles south of Stockholm, and according to the European Jewish Congress, has a small Jewish community.
A disturbing incident on the first night of Passover, shared with ADL by the Swedish Jewish community. Dolls were hung near the synagogue in Norrkoping with a message about Passover being a Jewish celebration of killing thousands of Egyptian children pic.twitter.com/DLT2LUgY5k
— ADL (@ADL) March 30, 2021
This week's incident comes just two months after anti-Semitic flyers and cans that said "GiftGas! Zyklon" were found in the city; that discovery was made on Jan. 27, International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Swedish, like many other Western countries, has seen an uptick in anti-Semitism. Last year, several Jewish groups, including the World Jewish Congress, Jewish Central Council of Sweden and the Central Council of Jewish Congregations in Finland, urged the Swedish government to act against racism and anti-Semitism.
Reprinted with permission from JNS.org
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