by Jason Webber
The Portuguese Synagogue in Amsterdam, one of the most beautiful synagogues in the world, stands as a jewel in the crown of European Jewry.
It was built by the Portuguese Jewish community of Amsterdam in 1675 following their arrival in Amsterdam, being one of the great trading cities of its time and known for its high degree of tolerance.
The synagogue remains an active place of worship to this day and a wonderful tourist attraction. It is home to one of the oldest Jewish libraries in the world – established in 1616 – which is filled with original and rare texts.
For centuries, Amsterdam was the centre of the world for Jews of Portuguese and Spanish descent,
producing numerous outstanding scientists, philosophers – such as Spinoza, artists, merchants and
bankers, who made a significant contribution to the prosperity of the Netherlands.
Interior of the Portuguese Synagogue in 1695 by Romeyn de Hooghe
The Portuguese Synagogue – known as the Esnoga or Snoge - was the largest synagogue in the world when it was constructed and its scale, beauty and grandeur reflect the success and standing of the Portuguese Jewish community in Amsterdam when it was built.
This community inspired the foundation of other Portuguese Jewish communities around the world, most notably in London, New Amsterdam (now New York) and Curacao. Much of the design and decoration of the Bevis Marks synagogue in London – the main synagogue of the Spanish and Portuguese Jewish community of the United Kingdom - was influenced by the Portuguese synagogue of Amsterdam which opened 26 years years earlier (see the November 2020 edition of the Lusitano Bulletin for article on Bevis Marks).
If you are in Amsterdam and looking for a place of Portuguese interest, pay a visit to the Esnoga!
Painting of the interior of the Esnoga by Emanuel de Witte (c. 1680), Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
View of the dedication of the Esnoga, 2 August 1675. Romeyn de Hooghe
コメント