Re: jewish music here in Finland

[Hannu Toyryla, tel. +358-0-5118366, or (GSM) +358-50-3131694 <HTOYRYLA...>]

>Hannu, many thanks for the report from Helsinki. I know we're drifting
>off-topic, but can you tell us more about the Jewish community there?
>ari
>jmusic (at) israel(dot)nysernet(dot)com

I am more than a bit hesitating to give an account on the local
Jewish community, because I am not a member of it. Those have
remember my introduction should know that I am not Jewish although
I have had a deep and wide interest in Judaism and Jewish culture
and history for a long time.

Now having stated that, here's some information.

The Jewish community started in the second half on 19th century.
Most Jews to come to Finland were cantonists, who were taken as
children to the Czar's Army and having served their 25 years,
many of those who found themselves in Finland, decided to stay.
Finland was then a Grand Duchy in the Russian empire.

Nowadays there are communities in Helsinki and Turku. The Helsinki
community has around 1200 members (persons, the number of families
is much less) of which perhaps a fifth actually lives in Israel.

The community has a synagogue, a school and a hospital at the community
center at Malminkatu in the center of Helsinki. There is also a kosher
meat shop in the neighbourhood. The congregation is Orthodox but I
understand that there have been discussions because a part would
prefer a liberal denomination.

There are also Israelis living in Helsinki, and sometimes one hears
Hebrew spoken in the center of the town. Some yordim have opened
restaurants.

A history of Jews in Finland was published some years ago, unfortunately
only in Finnish.

Going back to music, two of our pop singers have been Jewish. One of them,
Marion Rung, who represented us in the European song contest once and got
the fifth place (which is the highest ever), has also recorded some
Jewish songs.

Then there was Elis Sella, who died last year, who did much to make
Jewish music known, by arranging concerts, TV programs, as well
as recording Yiddish songs and especially songs of the Holocaust.

There is also Andre Zweig who has recorded cassettes of Jewish music
and is currently the cantor in the synagogue.

I hope this satisfies the curiosity.

Hannu

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