Don't speak Hebrew & don't wear a kippah, or yarmulke

Jews warned against harassment

The Mosaic Religious Community has advised its Jewish members against speaking Hebrew loudly on the streets of Oslo or wearing Jewish emblems. The suggestion has infuriated some in the membership.

It comes after a Jewish man wearing a kippah, or yarmulke, was assaulted on an Oslo street Saturday. The Mosaic Religious Community wants its members to be careful.

"We have encouraged our members to avoid speaking Hebrew loudly on the street," Anne Sender of the Jewish organization told newspaper Vårt Land. She also told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) that men may want to reconsider wearing the yarmulke.

That's provoked journalist Mona Levin, daughter of the late pianist Robert Levin. "We can't conceal that we're Jews," Levin said, adding that she intended to start wearing her Star of David. "That's letting ourselves down."

Sender said she wanted to stress that "the situation for Jews in Norway is better than it has been for a long time," despite current tensions caused by the fighting between Hezbollah and Israel that broke out last week.

Norway's government has supported Israel for years and actively worked to bring peace to the Middle East. At the same, there's also strong sympathy and support for the Palestinians.

The Mosaic Religious Community, which represents Jewish interests in Norway, has around 850 members in Oslo alone. The community reports "a steady flow" of new people joining from other countries or through conversion to Judaism.

The community also has actively sought to include the Israeli citizens living in Norway.

Community leaders claim on their web site that the Jewish community in Oslo is "very much a part of the Norwegian society at large, while, at the same time, maintaining its uniqueness."

Aftenposten English Web Desk/NTB
This is an article from www.aftenposten.no.
Updated: 20. juli 2006 kl.12:02
It can be found at this address: http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article1393945.ece

Publisher: Aftenposten Multimedia A/S, Oslo, Norway. Telephone: +47 - 22 86 30 00.All rights, including copyright and database right, are owned by or licensed to Aftenposten Multimedia. © Aftenposten Multimedia.