FINLAND - Only 850 Jews Remain

“You can be born Jewish in Finland, get circumcised, married, divorced: it’s a one-stop shop,” said Chaya Votkin, president of the Jewish Community of Helsinki.

Demographically speaking, the community is quite unique. It began in the first half of the 19th century, when Jewish soldiers (known as cantonists) serving in the Imperial Russian Army in Finland were granted permission by Russian military authorities to stay in Finland after completing their military service.

“They stayed there, and then they brought some spouses from Baltic countries because they were men who finished the army service,” said Votkin.

“…We have to really celebrate, first of all, diversity. Be proud of the fact that we are so different—different ages, different backgrounds—Ashkenazi, haredi, Mizrahi, you name it. And different languages. And I think there is beauty in it. If we can work together, we can be a model to the whole world.”

“So, basically, the idea is that we can enable a full Jewish life in Finland, with kosher food and holidays and Shabbat and prayer and education.”

“If something really big happens, then we’ll leave.” People from Finland do make aliyah, especially young people, but Votkin said “it’s not something that we do in masses right now.”

-www.jpost.com, 21 February 2026

Commentary: Quite a prophetically sounding statement, “If something really big happens, then we’ll leave.”

Finland is a rather gigantic country, but with only 5.6 million inhabitants. That means 18 people per square kilometer on average (USA is 37, Israel 468). One source states that 65-71% claim to be of the Lutheran religion.

Not too long ago, Finland was on top of the world when it came to the sale of Nokia handheld cell phones. That has changed dramatically in the meantime. But Finland is super-rich in natural resources.

When it comes to health, welfare, and quality of life, Finnish people are at the top of the rankings, with an 82.2-year life expectancy.

In the end, however, the Finnish Jews’ destiny is Israel. That, incidentally, is the goal for true Christians: This world is not our home. This is not our country; this is not our family. Our aim and eternal home is the celestial city, where true peace, true satisfaction, and true love reign.