“The rise in antisemitic incidents, particularly since Oct. 7, is deeply troubling,” said Petra Kahn Nord of the World Jewish Congress.

By David Swindle, JNS and European Jewish Press

The Jewish Community in Denmark (Det Jødiske Samfund i Danmark) tracked 121 antisemitic acts, including 20 death threats, in 2023—the highest levels that nation has seen since 1943.

Henri Goldstein, who leads the organization, said Denmark has “seen antisemitism on steroids.”

“We have seen the the biggest antisemitic wave in Denmark since 1943,” when Denmark was occupied by Nazi Germany, Goldstein told The Associated Press.

The figures, compiled by the community’s security organization, were on a par with reports in other European countries.

“We have seen a violent escalation, not least fueled by the uncontrolled spread of hatred on social media,” Goldstein said, adding that in 2023, “all 121 incidents were Jew-hatred – and not ‘just criticism of Israel.’”

Of the 121 incidents, 20 were death threats “which we have not since since the 1980s,” Goldstein said, referring to threats made then against two leading figures in the Jewish community – an editor-in-chief and the chief rabbi.

Jews in Denmark were advised not to wear Jewish symbols openly, Goldstein said.

Most of the cases involved hate messages, more than half of them online. The report only mentioned known cases of antisemitism but the community said that ”the vast majority of antisemitic incidents are never reported.”

Many European countries have registered a rise in reported antisemitic acts and comments since the outbreak of the war in Gaza.

Denmark, which was occupied by Nazi Germany from April 1940 to May 1945, was one of the few European countries whose Jewish population was largely saved from the Holocaust. About 95% of Denmark’s Jewish population managed to escape by crossing the narrow waterway from northeastern Denmark to neutral Sweden in a risky rescue mission between September and October 1943.

“The rise in antisemitic incidents, particularly since Oct. 7, is deeply troubling,” said Petra Kahn Nord, World Jewish Congress representative in the Nordics and its religious freedom task force coordinator.

“The Jewish community of Denmark is all too familiar with the impact of violent extremism, and we’ll continue to work with them to ensure that they have the protection that is needed,” she added.

There are about 6,400 Jews in Denmark, per 2023 statistics.

Some 10% of Danish adults believed six or more antisemitic tropes in 2019, including 41% that said that Danish Jews are more loyal to Israel than to Denmark, per Anti-Defamation League data.

Kevin Altman, an ADL spokesman, told JNS that the Jewish Community in Denmark collects and vets antisemitic incidents reliably. “The Danish Jewish community’s data should be taken very seriously,” he said.

“Our European representative was in Copenhagen in early December and met with the Jewish community leadership and with Danish police. While the threats to the community have increased, the government and police are responding appropriately in close coordination with the community’s own security service,” he added.