SWEDEN, January 9 - Anna Florén, Program Director at Voksenåsen, Norway’s national gift to Sweden after the Second World War, held the first presentation accompanied by the teachers Helena Hermansson and Fredrik Sjöholm. Voksenåsen conducts courses and conferences in Norway, and its cultural activities include organised remembrance trips to Norwegian Holocaust remembrance sites. Ms Florén and the teachers presented a new educational material on the Holocaust to be used by pupils prior to a Holocaust remembrance trip.

Hugo Wester from the National Agency for Education and Karin Åhrman from the Living History Forum shared information about their democracy-reinforcing initiatives to combat antisemitism and other forms of racism within the model Democracy Step by Step which provides tools and resources for teachers. 

Katherine Hauptman, director of the Swedish Holocaust Museum, talked about how the museum receives school classes and educates pupils and teachers on the Holocaust. She also showed how the Swedish version of Dimensions in Testimony can be used all over Sweden.

The task force for Jewish life in Sweden has a special focus each year. In its first year, the focus was on safety and security. This also continued into 2024, when the task force primarily focused on education. The issue of safety and security will remain on the agenda into 2025 as the task force shifts its main focus to Jewish life. This coincides with next year’s celebration of 250 years of established Jewish life in Sweden.