Most Jews living in Denmark in 1939 did not perish in the Nazi Holocaust. Courageous Danes were able to evacuate 8000 Danish Jews by transporting them by water to nearby Sweden, a neutral country in WWII. Jews have not been fully accepted into European Christian society until very recent times. At times they were tolerated and at other times severely persecuted. The Jews living in Denmark are nearly all descendants of Jews who fled some type of persecution. The Jews live in Denmark speak Danish as their first language. As educated people, most also speak multiple European languages including English.
Most Jews in Denmark live in large cities especially Copenhagen and Arhus. With the rise of European anti-Semitism, some Danish Jews are migrating to North America or Israel.
Jewish parents strongly encourage their children to pursue graduate educations. Jews often find their employment in medicine, law, higher education, science, and finance. Jewish scientists win the Nobel Prize many times above the percentage of the general population. One of the issues today for Judaism is that many Jews marry outside the faith resulting in children of mixed heritage. Conservative rabbis will only marry a mixed couple if the non-Jewish person is willing to convert to Judaism. Accordingly, to be considered a Jew in most Jewish circles, one must present evidence that he or she was born of the Jewish mother. Judaism is a non-evangelistic religion. The Jews do not seek converts. A non-Jew or Gentile can become a Jew only through a time of prolonged study and commitment. At the age of 13, the Bar Mitzvah ceremony for a boy (or Bat Mitzvah for a girl) is an important rite of passage, which marks him or her as an adult member of the community. While these ceremonies were more spiritually focused in the past, they have become equally important as social events.
One of the issues today for Judaism is that many Jews marry outside the faith, resulting in children of mixed heritage.
Traditional Jews see Abraham as the father of their faith and Moses as the great lawgiver. The Law or Torah, the Prophets and the Writings make up the Jewish holy Scriptures. Judaism is a moral, fiercely monotheistic religion. One obtains favor with God by obeying the laws found in the Scriptures. The writings of the Rabbis, the Talmud, are seen as an essential guide to knowing and following the commands of God. The two main holy days of the Jews are the Passover which celebrates the Jews leaving Egypt under the leadership of Moses and the Day of Atonement in which Jews fast, pray and confess their sins. The Jewish Shabbat runs from Friday at sunset until sunset on Saturday. Religious Jews use the time to attend synagogue and to spend time with their families. Jews are known for their philanthropic work and helping the less fortunate. The Jews living in Denmark are a diverse population and can be classified into at least four major groups. The strictest branch of Judaism is the Orthodox. They believe the Law and Prophets, what Christians call the Old Testament, is the literal, inspired Word of God and still completely binding on their lives. The liberal or progressive branch of Judaism is called Reformed. They do not believe in the miracles of the Torah and that Judaism must be fully integrated into modern scientific world. The Conservative Jews try to find a moderate, middle path between Orthodoxy and Reformed Judaism. One final part of the Jewish population are non-religious or secular Jews. These Jews do not attend synagogue and may go to work on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. These secular Jews may be atheists, agnostics or deists. All four groups of Jews are represented in Denmark.
The Jews need to see that their good works can never get them right with God. The only way that God forgives sins is through death and resurrection of His Son Jesus. The Jews who accept their Jesus as Messiah are frequently led into the kingdom of God by Christians who model the love of Christ to them. Many Jews are proud of their heritage and wealth. Pride can prevent people from expressing their need for God and His forgiveness.
Ask the Lord to send Danish believers to build friendships with Jews and demonstrate God's love to them. Pray that God raises up a Messianic disciple making movement among the Jews of Denmark. Pray that more and more Danish Jews would be willing to investigate the claims of Jesus Christ. Pray that God would open the spiritual eyes of the Danish Jews as they read and study the Old Testament.
Scripture Prayers for the Jewish, Danish in Denmark.
| Profile Source: Joshua Project |
