We arrived in beautiful Copenhagen and spent our time touring the sites. We took a boat ride through the canals, biked all around the city, and learned a lot about Danish history and culture. I was proud that the tour guide mentioned how Denmark managed to save almost its entire Jewish population during World War II by clandestinely ferrying Jews across to neutral Sweden. In a rare breath of fresh air from the antisemitism of North America, surely the Danes, with their heroic past, would be knowledgeable about world events to not fall for the distorted narratives perpetuated by people who are not students of history. 

I was wrong. Copenhagen was littered with graffiti “Free Palestine” stickers. It became my mission to remove as many stickers as I could find. In Christianshavn, known for its bohemian and hippie commune, we were met with Palestinian flags being flown from windows, bikes, and buildings. We did not feel safe and left Christianshavn quickly. 

We also visited the Great Synagogue in Copenhagen. Like many Jewish institutions, we had to provide our passport picture pages in advance to tour the magnificent synagogue completed in 1833. The tour guide, the son of the Chief Rabbi of Denmark, commented that antisemitism in Copenhagen was almost non-existent. 

I respectfully disagree. Since any Jewish institution is a target, the Danish government has sealed off the street to any vehicular traffic in front of the shul, and an armed soldier with an automatic rifle stands at the ready at the entrance. These security measures are paid for entirely by the state. The Jewish population of Denmark has diminished dramatically over the years, and with the increase in antisemitism, how long can Denmark be a safe haven for Jews?

 Copenhagen was clean and nice, but Stockholm was spotless and elegant. We had a great time at the ABBA Museum, the Nobel Museum, and the Vasa Museum. The family took a food tour of Copenhagen and enjoyed the Swedish delicacies. (Although I like black licorice like my mom, licorice and raspberry flavours should not be enrobed in a chocolate bar!) Stockholm, I had hoped, was different from Copenhagen. It seemed that way until we came face to face with a pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel march through the downtown core. I was still on my one-man mission to remove as many graffiti stickers as I could find around the city. In one central square, there was a Ukrainian cultural festival going on. It was hard not to notice that there were no anti-Russia signs. Double standards exist in Stockholm, too.

Our next stop was Oslo, the birthplace of the 1993 Oslo Peace Accords. We toured the magnificent Oslo Opera House. Instead of spending my time admiring the structure, I couldn’t help but be angered by a person wearing an “Anti-Zionist Social Club” hoodie. How could this be allowed out in public? Apparently, this apparel is OK in Oslo. After calming down slightly, we went to the Edvard Munch Museum next door to see his famous painting, “The Scream.” Here, too, in the museum, a woman was wearing a sweater with what looked like the outline of the State of Israel, but it was covered in a watermelon, the image that has become synonymous with the Palestinians because both a watermelon and the Palestinian flag share the same colours. 

In Oslo, the graffiti was more extensive. I saw flyers with lists of Israeli companies and products Norwegians should boycott. I saw anti-Israel graffiti in spray paint, and I felt the need to leave.  

Our final Scandinavian stop was the city of Bergen, in Norway’s north, in fjord country. It was beautiful, but it lost some of its beauty when I saw a woman carrying a “Palestine will be Free” umbrella along its cobblestone streets.  

 I was happy to leave Scandinavia days later for our final European destination, London, England. Our whole trip abroad had come about as we were invited to a bar mitzvah there. After feeling uncomfortable in Scandinavia, we were going to be immersed in our familiar culture. The bar mitzvah was lovely, and spending Shabbat dinner with family was very special. We hadn’t been in the same room with many of my wife’s relatives since our wedding over 19 years ago.  

After finally debriefing with the bar mitzvah family about the blatant antisemitism on our trip, the bar mitzvah boy’s father thoughtfully and correctly commented that Europeans have been dealing with antisemitism for generations and that they are always aware of it bubbling away just below the surface. We North Americans, he argues, are truly only seeing it for the first time. Antisemitism is alive and well in Europe, North America, and indeed around the globe. The narrative has been distorted, and a general sense of unease prevails in world Jewry. 

I am a proud 5th generation Canadian, and for the first time, I ask myself, what does the future hold for Jews in the Diaspora? How can we continue to deal with anti-Israel rhetoric that has become the new antisemitism? As we begin 5785, none of us are privy to what’s coming in the future. Good or bad, we’re in this together, and we need to remember that.