AMSTERDAM: Jewish Cultural Quarter - Portuguese Synagogue, National Holocaust Memorial, Jewish Historical Museum

Good morning! (Post for April 6) Cold and windy again today! However, undaunted we left our cozy apartment and headed out in search of new adventures. Our plan was to spend some time in the Jewish Cultural Quarter so we caught a tram that took us to the general area. After getting off the #7 tram we walked a few blocks and stopped for coffee at Café Koffiehuis de Schaapskooi, another Dutch name that rolls easily off your tongue!

We didn't want to sit for too long, so soon we were walking towards the Jewish Quarter in east Amsterdam. It seems that, by habit, whenever we cross a canal bridge, we pause to take a picture. On this occasion we got more than we expected when we saw a canal barge dredging for bicycles! The two man crew were dropping the claw boom into the water hoping to retrieve discarded bicycles (or sunken treasure) from the murky water. We had heard this is a regular activity for city workers! There were already many bikes in a large clump in the salvage bin. The giant claw pulled out yet another while we were watching! Amazing to think people just throw the bikes into the canals...

We continued our walk along Utrechtsestraat to the Jewish Quarter. There are several historical buildings and museums here related to the history of Jewish people in Amsterdam and the persecution that has plagued them over the centuries. We could only visit a few of the key places in the area. Our first stop was at the Portuguese Synagogue which dates back to 1675. It is still the heart of the Portuguese Jewish Community in Amsterdam and is the gathering place for services, feast days, and special occasions. The founders of this community were descendants of Jews that were expelled from Spain and Portugal in the late 1400's by Ferdinand and Isabella and Manuel I. They were forced to leave unless they converted to Catholicism. Amsterdam, at the time, was known as a tolerant city and therefore a favourable destination to start a new life. The construction of the synagogue provided a focal point for the new immigrants.

Just past the synagogue, a few blocks further, was the National Holocaust Memorial. The memorial is in what remains of the former Hollandsche Shouwberg theatre. In the late 1800's, the theatre featured primarily Jewish performers until it was transformed by the Nazi's in 1941. At that time it became an assembly point and deportation centre for Jews in Amsterdam. The Jews were either arrested or complied with orders to report at the theatre and register. There were as many as 1300 people being detained here at any given time. Soon after registration they were sent to the Westerbork temporary facility before being transported to concentration camps.

The following picture shows the houses which surrounded the old theatre. It's hard to believe the residents did not know what was actually going on in the building.

I happened to ask one of the staff a question. He was so pleasant and talked willingly with us. He seemed passionate about the information. I asked him if he was Jewish. He said no, and that he was a German citizen. I found this surprising, and so commendable. He introduced himself as Jonas.

He explained his position at the Museum as a member of 'Action Reconciliation Service for Peace(ARSP)', an organization which has been active in Germany since 1958. The founders were the Evangelical Church. He talked about how the building across the street housed the children of those being detained in the theatre. The teachers building next door was being used by the Resistance who were moving as many of the children as they could, to families who would care for them.

When the area wasn't being properly monitored by the Germans, children could be smuggled to safety. 600 children were saved. 12,000 went to concentration camps. Jonas pointed out one large wall in the memorial. It was referred to as a 'Digital Monument'. It contains the surnames of thousand of Jewish people from Amsterdam who died in concentration camps. Each name can be scanned individually, and history can be obtained about that individual.

We thanked Jonas for the time that he had spent with us. Jonas mentioned the Auschwitz Memorial in Wertheimpark just down the street. The park is the oldest in Amsterdam. The memorial, which is hard to find, was created in 1993 by Dutch artist and writer Jan Wolkers, in memory of the many victims of Auschwitz. The horizontal broken glass mirrors reflects the sky both day and night. In the words of the artist, "The sky is wounded forever...". A vertical pane of glass stands near the back of the mirrors with the inscription "Nooit meer Auschwitz" (Auschwitz never again).

We left the park and walked past the synagogue to the Jewish Historical Museum. The museum, housed in four former synagogues, is dedicated to Jewish history, culture, and religion. It documents the 400 year history of Jewish people in Amsterdam. There were many beautiful and fascinating artifacts, paintings, and videos that made our visit more than worthwhile. The museum covers all aspects of Jewish life including Bar Mitzvah's and weddings. One of most beautiful paintings in the museum was "A Jewish Wedding" painted by Dutch artist Jozef Israels in 1903. Israels was one of the most respected members of the Hague School of landscape painters. In the painting, the bride and groom are standing under a prayer shawl that serves as a wedding canopy, which symbolizes their future home.

Unfortunately, the few hours that we were able to spend at the museum were not nearly enough to fully appreciate this fascinating part of Jewish history! The afternoon weather became rainy and it was too cold and windy to walk around. We walked through the desolate Albert Cuyp Market and wondered why the merchants would still be open. I guess it's rain or shine year round for them. There were a few people looking for clothing or fruits and vegetables...

...but we were looking for a warm place to have lunch and a cup of hot mint tea. We stopped back at Moos Café, the place that we had good sandwiches last Saturday. It was good and a short reprieve from the nasty weather outside! Here's my smoked chicken salad. Look at the colour! Ron had a tuna sandwich that he described as "less than spectacular!"

We also had to try this popular Dutch treat, called Bitterballen. It is a savory Dutch, meat-based snack. Ours was veal based.

Bye for now! Karen