The earliest Jews in Norway were Sephardic. When the country came under Swedish rule in 1814, Jews were expelled, but were permitted to return in 1851. Full emancipation was granted in 1891.

At the time of the Nazi invasion, there were some 3,500 Jews in Norway. In 2007, there were about 1,200. Communal organizations exist in Oslo and Trondheim, the latter being the northernmost Jewish community in the world.