About Oslo
Oslo, the capital of Norway, sits on the country’s southern coast at the head of the Oslofjord, and is known for its citywide green spaces and museums. Many of these are on the Bygdøy peninsula, including the Norwegian Maritime Museum, the Vikingskipshuset, with ships from the 10th century, and the Norsk Folkemuseum, with artifacts from Sami and Viking cultures. Founded in the year 1040, and established as a "kaupstad" or trading place in 1048 by King Harald III. Because of the city's northern latitude, daylight varies greatly, from more than 18 hours in midsummer, when it never gets completely dark at night, to around 6 hours in midwinter. Oslo has warm summers with two out of three days in July that have high temperatures above 30 °C, in January, three out of four days are below freezing (0 °C). Oslo has a large and varied number of cultural attractions, Oslo houses several major museums and galleries. A large number of festivals are held in Oslo, such as Oslo Jazz festival, a six-day jazz festival which has been held annually in August for the past 15 years.
Jewish History, POI & Kosher Establishments in Oslo
Today around 1400 Jews make their home in Norway. Some 870 of these belong to one or other of the country’s two Jewish communities, respectively in Oslo and Trondheim. The first Jews came to Norway after the 1491 expulsion from Spain, only to be expelled from the country in 1687 and forbidden to return. This prohibition was enshrined in the first National Constitution, adopted in 1814. In 1851, thanks to the campaign led by the Norwegian writer Henrik Wergeland, the anti-Jewish clause was dropped from the Constitution and Jews were again permitted to settle in Norway. The country’s first synagogue was established in 1861, in the capital Kristiania (now Oslo). Although small, the Jewish communities in Norway have a high level of activity relative to their size. Norway has a rabbi, who officiates at the synagogue in Oslo and also supervises the kosher food outlet in the capital. (Meat is imported as shechita is prohibited in Norway, in the name of animal rights.) Between 60 and 100 people attend shabbat services. The Kosher Catering unit can provide kosher food for tourists, served by prior arrangement in the Oslo community centre.
