What is really a home? Where do you feel you belong? Is it in Norway? In Trondheim? Maybe it’s in the schoolyard or on the football field? Or in your religion or culture?

Sometimes, it can be challenging to navigate different aspects of belonging. Many of us might have felt torn between different parts of our own identity: Should you go on a weekend trip with your friends or spend time at the cabin with your grandparents? Should you keep your dialect, or adapt to be better understood? Many can probably relate to this.

One group that often faces such challenges is immigrants. They arrive in a foreign country where they must learn a new language and adopt a new culture—perhaps even at the expense of the one they come from. The Jewish minority in Norway includes a significant number of immigrants who have come to the country in recent times.

In his recent master’s thesis, Johan-Elias Harnes has explored how Eastern European Jewish immigrants in Norway have navigated their Jewish identity and sense of belonging in light of their migration processes. He examines how elements such as religion, history, culture, and memory practices influence Jewish identity in a migration context, and how these elements can both strengthen and challenge an immigrant’s sense of “home” in a new society.

The lecture will explore questions such as: What is a Jew? How is Jewish identity used by immigrants during the process of establishing themselves in a new country? And how can Jewish identity be a source of belonging to something new, while also serving as a reminder of what has been left behind? These questions (and more) will be discussed through the presentation of personal stories, interview material, and an analysis of historical context. The audience will gain insight into how a selection of Eastern European Jewish immigrants create meaning, belonging, and identity in their new lives and communities in Norway.

The event is free of charge. The talk will be in Norwegian.

No registration is required, but feel free to express your interest via this Facebook event: click here.

After the lecture, there will be a winter celebration at the museum. Read more about it by clicking here.

A warm welcome to an important and engaging lecture at the Jewish Museum Trondheim. We look forward to seeing you there!