The Swedish government announced on Thursday that it named Isak Reichel, director general at the Swedish Agency for Support to Faith Communities, as the new national coordinator for its strategy to strengthen Jewish life and combat antisemitism.
The government adopted the strategy on May 15. It said that Reichel’s new role will work to ensure that the strategy achieves its aims and leads “to lasting changes in society.”
“Since the government took office, we have emphasized that the work to combat antisemitism is a priority. This is a prerequisite for maintaining the thriving Jewish life that we want in our country,” stated Parisa Liljestrand, the Swedish culture minister. “The coordinator and the strategy to strengthen Jewish life and combat antisemitism are central to these efforts.”
Reichel’s job will “involve coordinating the authorities and stakeholders that can contribute to the implementation of the strategy, offering knowledge support and ensuring that they help to achieve the goals,” per the government.
He will also “monitor the implementation of the strategy and its goals and suggest how it should be monitored in the longer term,” it said.
It added that the strategy is “a 10-year commitment for the period 2025–2034,” and that Reichel’s assignment goes through the end of March 2029.
