The Balancing Act. A lecture with Johan-Elias Harnes
What exactly is a home? Where do you feel you belong? Is it in Norway? In Trondheim? Is it perhaps in the schoolyard or on the football pitch? Or in your religion or culture? Sometimes it can be difficult to negotiate different aspects of belonging. Many of us may have felt pulled in different directions by our own identity: Should we go on a weekend trip with a group of friends, or at the cottage with our grandparents? Should one keep the dialect, or adapt to be better understood? Many may recognize themselves.
One group that particularly often has to deal with such challenges are immigrants. They have arrived in a foreign country where they have to learn a new language and embrace a new culture - perhaps even at the expense of where they come from. The Jewish minority in Norway has a significant element of immigrants who have come to the country in recent times.
In his recent master's thesis, Johan-Elias Harnes has explored how Eastern European Jewish immigrants in Norway have navigated their Jewish identity and belonging in light of their migration processes. He goes into how elements such as religion, history, culture and memorial practices play into Jewish identity in a migration context, and how these can strengthen - as well as challenge - an immigrant's sense of "home" in a new society.
The lecture will explore questions such as: What is a Jew? How is Jewish identity used among immigrants in the establishment process in a new country? And how can Jewish identity be a source of belonging to something new, but also a reminder of what has been left behind? These questions (and more) will be discussed through the presentation of personal stories, interview material and analysis of historical context, and the audience will gain insight into how a selection of Eastern European Jewish immigrants create meaning, belonging and identity in their new lives and communities in Norway.
The event is free.
A warm welcome to a relevant and exciting lecture at the Jewish Museum Trondheim. Welcome!
One group that particularly often has to deal with such challenges are immigrants. They have arrived in a foreign country where they have to learn a new language and embrace a new culture - perhaps even at the expense of where they come from. The Jewish minority in Norway has a significant element of immigrants who have come to the country in recent times.
In his recent master's thesis, Johan-Elias Harnes has explored how Eastern European Jewish immigrants in Norway have navigated their Jewish identity and belonging in light of their migration processes. He goes into how elements such as religion, history, culture and memorial practices play into Jewish identity in a migration context, and how these can strengthen - as well as challenge - an immigrant's sense of "home" in a new society.
The lecture will explore questions such as: What is a Jew? How is Jewish identity used among immigrants in the establishment process in a new country? And how can Jewish identity be a source of belonging to something new, but also a reminder of what has been left behind? These questions (and more) will be discussed through the presentation of personal stories, interview material and analysis of historical context, and the audience will gain insight into how a selection of Eastern European Jewish immigrants create meaning, belonging and identity in their new lives and communities in Norway.
The event is free.
A warm welcome to a relevant and exciting lecture at the Jewish Museum Trondheim. Welcome!
Last Updated: 10/29/2024
Source: Hva skjer kalender
The Balancing Act. A lecture with Johan-Elias Harnes