The modern Jewish community was established in Amsterdam in the 16th century. Many of these were Sephardic refugees from Spain and Portugal. Ashkenazi Jews from Central and Eastern Europe began to arrive following 1630. It was not until the 18th century that Jews began to settle outside Amsterdam. Since then, numerous new Jewish communities were established in the first half of the 19th century. Overall, nearly 200 Jewish communities are known to have existed in the Netherlands. In this Religiana list, we'll explore the top Jewish heritage sites of the Netherlands.
This synagogue is considered to be the first synagogue in the Netherlands which was recognizable as such by its exterior. It was constructed in 1670/71 and its design is attributed to the architect Elias Bouman. The plan of the building is almost square-shaped. The wooden vaulted roof and the women's gallery were supported by four large columns. The bimah was located at the center of the interior which faced the monumental Torah ark. The small rectangular building at the corner of the street originally a mikveh. A neoclassical entrance with its triangular pediments was later added to this building around the year 1822/23. During the Second World War, the synagogue was closed down in 1943 and was subsequently looted. The municipality of Amsterdam bought the complex, including the New Synagogue, Obbene Shul, and Dritt Shul in 1954. After several renovations of the synagogue complex (1966, 1976/87), the buildings were redeveloped as the Joods Historisch Museum (Jewish Historical Museum).
The New Synagogue was constructed in 1750/52 on the location of an earlier but much smaller synagogue, dating back to 1730, and three private homes. The design of the New Synagogue has been attributed to G. F. Maybaum and is designed in a sense similar to the Grote Synagoge but is somewhat larger and is adorned with a large dome. The square-shaped layout of the building is divided into three aisles, with vaulted ceilings and four large columns. The galleries are located alongside the side walls of the building, thereby emphasizing the axis of the Torah Ark. The square shape of the building, on the other hand, is accentuated by the light entering from the centrally located dome on top of the hipped roof. The front façade does not directly correspond with the layout of the building as the main entrance could not be placed in the same axis as the Torah Ark. The entrance itself contains several classical elements such as the cornice and Ionic pillars. The inscription above the entrance refers to Psalm 14:7, Psalm 118:20 and shows the Hebrew date [5]513 (or, 1753 CE). The façade of the upper floor contains large rounded arch windows while smaller windows are located on the main floor. The interior was heavily damaged during the Second World War after which the furniture including the bimah, Torah ark, menorahs, chandeliers went missing. The interior has now been transformed to a museum space as part of the Jewish Historical Museum.
The Esnoga (Talmud Torah) Synagogue in Amsterdam is also known as the Portuguese Synagogue. It is Sephardic synagogue constructed in 1675. Esnoga means synagogue in Ladino, the traditional Judao-Spanish language of the Sephardic Jews. It is still an active place of worship and tourist destination.
The Portuguese synagogue was consecrated in 1726 based on a design by Daniel Marot in the late style of Louis XIV. The layout of the building is rectangular in shape and its façade is divided by the colossal order of pilasters, spanning the entire height of the building. The monumental entrance includes a classical fronton which contains the Hebrew verse referring to Psalm 84:2 and the date 5486 (1726 CE). The interior is divided into three aisles with the use of Ionic columns which support the women's gallery. In line with the Sephardic layout of synagogues, the bimah (teva) is not positioned at the center of the building but closer to the entrance and the benches face the main aisle instead of the Torah ark. The layout of this Sephardic synagogue is similar to the layout of the Portuguese synagogue in Amsterdam. After the Second World War, the building became abandoned for a long period of time. It was bought by the Liberaal Joodse Gemeente in 1972 and subsequently renovated in 1974/76 and 1992/93.
The synagogue is located behind the private residences of the Wagenstraat. It was consecrated in the year 1844. It replaced an older synagogue which was situated at the Voldersgracht (dated ca. 1721/23). The Neo-Classical main façade includes a cornice and triangular pediment with a tondo window. The entrance itself is also adorned with a triangular pediment is supported by Tuscan columns. Rounded arched windows can be found in the side walls of the building. The entrance originally contained an unknown Hebrew inscription and the date 5604 (1844 CE) but these were removed in the year 1981. The synagogue was oriented along the short axis which meant that the Torah ark was situated against the long southeastern wall. The bimah was placed at the center of the assembly hall, facing the Torah ark. The building, including the galleries which are supported by slender Ionic columns, were expanded in 1922. The complex was expanded with the establishment of an administrative building and a second synagogue along the Nieuwe Molstraat (demolished in 1981), designed by the architect H. Elte Phzn in the architectural style of the Amsterdam School. The interior of the synagogue was damaged by fire during the Second World War in 1944. Three years later, the building was again consecrated as a synagogue after which the Jewish religious services resumed. In 1976, the building became abandoned and was subsequently sold to the municipality of The Hague. The decorated Torah ark (ca. 1723) was removed and relocated to Israel in the same year. The building was repurposed as a mosque which opened its doors in the year 1979. The front façade of the building received Arabic inscriptions and two large steel minarets were placed in the forecourt of the building.
The synagogue in Delft was built in 1862 in a neoclassic style with an Ionic temple facade. Following World War II the Jewish community was strained and the building was unused. In 1996 the synagogue was brought back for use by the Reconstructionist Open Jewish Congregation Klal Yisrael with frequent services on shabbat and Holidays.
A former Baptist church was bought by the Jewish community of Gouda in the year 1798. The building was reused as a synagogue but had to be demolished in 1823 because of structural deterioration. A new synagogue was built on the same site and was consecrated in 1827. The front façade features eclectic architectural elements. This façade is provided with Neo-Gothic pointed arched windows and a Neo-Classical ornamented entrance. After the Second World War, the Jewish community of Gouda was too small to sustain their own synagogue. The building was sold in 1950 and only the women's gallery remained in the interior of the building. The design of both the original women's gallery and the Torah ark was probably influenced by the designs of the furniture in the synagogue in Leiden. The pointed arched windows, located near the former Torah ark, were walled up to suit the new church organ. In use until WWII, this brick synagogue has been sold after the war and now serves as a church.
The synagogue was built next to an older synagogue which dated back to 1791. The new synagogue was consecrated in 1868. The design of the building was executed in an early Neo-Gothic style in which the the Gothic features were purely ornamental and not structure-related. The Neo-Gothic elements include the plastered octagonal pilasters topped by pinnacles, the rounded frieze and the ornamental door and window frames. The pointed-arched windows contain iron-cast tracery. A Hebrew inscription is located above the main entrance and refers to Isaiah 56:7 and the date. The structural expansion at the backside of the building was used as the location for the Torah ark and is still recognizable as such from the outside. The women's gallery is still present in the assembly hall. The Jewish community of Culemborg meerged with Utrecht in the year 1947. Three years later, the building was redeveloped as a Christian Reformed church. In 1981/82, the building was renovated by the architect H. K. J. van der Wielen.
The synagogue near the market was consecrated in the year 1875. The side wall of the building is provided with buttresses situated in between rounded arched windows. The front façade is topped by three turrets and contains the Stone Tablets with Roman numerals above a small rounded arched window. The Jewish community of Geertruidenberg ceased to exist in 1947. Two years later, the building was sold to the municipality and was transformed into a fire brigade garage. During this time, the large entrance gate was added in the front façade which can still be seen. The interior of the building was drastically renovated in 1980 which now serves as an office building.
The white plastered synagogue, dating back to 1828, was designed as a small rectangular building with a gable roof and pointed arched windows. The women's gallery was located right above the main entrance and could be seen immediately after entering the building. The synagogue was no longer used for religious purposes after the year 1967 and subsequently became abandoned. The Jewish community of Haaksbergen merged with the community of Hengelo in 1972. Five years later, the mikveh of the former synagogue, which could be accessed via the northern wall, was demolished. In 1981, the municipality of Haaksbergen organized the renovation of the building. A year later, the synagogue was again consecrated by the Liberaal Joodse Gemeente Twente. The original interior of the synagogue was kept intact. The Neo-Classical Torah ark contains a Hebrew inscription referring to Psalm 97:11. A small Jewish school was located next to the synagogue.
The synagogue was designed by the architect J. A. Mulock Houwer in a distinct Oriental architectural style. The function of the building can be identified as such by the Stone Tablets, located at the very top of the façade. The Moorish architectural features include the octagonal pinnacles and onion-shaped domes which evoke the architectural style of minarets. The close relationship with minarets was strengthened by the fact that the these pinnacles were originally topped with moon sickles while the central pinnacle was adorned with the Star of David. Another typical feature includes the horseshoe-shaped window arches, supported by small columns. The interior of the synagogue was destroyed and looted during the Second World War. The synagogue used to contain stained glass windows depicting the Twelve Tribes of Israel but these are no longer present. The Jewish services resumed between 1947 and 1952 after which the community held their services in the synagogue located along the Lange Bisschopstraat. The original synagogue was repurposed as a reformed church. The Torah niche has since been used as the location for the pulpit and organ. In the beginning of 2018, the Christian reformed community sold the building to Ayhan Sahin who wanted to redevelop the former synagogue into a food hall. This caused the Jewish community of Beth Shoshanna to start their own crowdfunding campaign with the idea of repurposing it as a cultural community center in order to respect the former religious function of the building.
The northern façade of the synagogue is positioned along the Graaf Hendriksteeg but the building can be accessed via the Jufferenstraat. A Neo-Classical brick gate can be found at the entrance of the terrain of the synagogue. It contains a Hebrew inscription of Psalm 55:15 and dates back to 1855. The synagogue, which was consecrated in the same year, was situated in a redeveloped sixteenth-century private residence. During this redevelopment, the building was provided with new pointed arched windows and a women's gallery along one side of the wall. The first floor of the building was opened up in order to create a larger assembly hall. The Torah ark (dated ca. 1799) was taken from the former synagogue in Arnhem, located at the Betincksteeg. After the Second World War, the Jewish community of Elburg merged with Apeldoorn in the year 1947. The Torah ark and bimah were subsequently relocated to the synagogue in Winterswijk. A Hanukah menorah of the original synagogue can be found in the municipality building of Elburg. The building is currently used for cultural activities.
The monumental synagogue complex was constructed in a symmetrical manner. The three building segments of the complex are provided with a dome of which the central dome towers above the surrounding architecture. The synagogue complex includes small prayer rooms, classrooms, administrative spaces, a mikveh and residence for the Rabbi and Jewish tutor. The synagogue replaced an older synagogue (dated ca. 1865) which was located along the Stadsgravenstraat. A new proposed design was created by the architect K. P. C. de Bazel in 1918/19. After the death of de Bazel, the design of the synagogue was taken over by the architect A. P. Smits. The building plan of the complex was expanded but the rectangular-shaped assembly hall, topped by a large twelve-sided dome, as designed by de Bazel, was left unchanged. The ornamental details of the architecture are reminiscent of Egyptian and oriental building styles. The building was consecrated as for Jewish religious services in the year 1928. It was renovated by the architect S. B. de Boer in 2001/03. The same architect designed the cemetery chapel of Enschede along the Noord Esmarkerrondweg which was designed in a similar architectural style.
