Jews in the Swedish city of Gothenburg were relieved when a neo-Nazi march on Yom Kippur bypassed the city’s main synagogue.

The march by 600 members of the far-right nationalist Nordic Resistance Movement was rerouted after appeals from the Jewish community that it not pass the synagogue on the holiest day of the year.

The community had been concerned about harassment and vandalism from protestors and had increased security as a result.

But community chairman Allan Stutzinsky told JTA that the service went on as normal and instead of waking up to vandalism on Sunday as expected, the building had been covered in hearts drawn with chalk.

He said: “The threats exist, but they don’t dominate society.

“Civil society in Sweden stood up for us in a way that the civil society in Germany didn’t do in the ’30s. We have received a lot of support.”

The community received hundreds of messages of support from groups and individuals wishing them well during the demonstration.

Speaking about the protestors he said: “We have people who openly follow Nazism and who publicly show that they are Nazis and that they have that agenda.”

During the march 50 were arrested when they did not stick to the agreed route and clashed with counter protesters.

Simon Lindberg, the group’s leader, was one of those arrested.

Police cars patrolled the area surrounding the synagogue as well as a helicopter and a boat in a nearby canal.

The synagogue increased its own security just in case.

Last month, the Jewish community argued against a police decision to allow the group to march a route that would have taken them very close to the city’s main synagogue.

The Anti-Defamation League and the World Jewish Congress called on the Swedish government to ensure the Jewish community’s safety.