JHM

Nestled in the center of the beautiful city by or rather among water, namely Amsterdam, you can find the local Jewish Cultural Quarters. The Quarters consist of the Jewish Historical Museum, JHM Children's Museum, the Portuguese Synagogue (see earlier post) and the Hollandsche Schouwburg, a Dutch theater. Nearby, you can also a monument for the Jewish Resistance.

It was a while ago I visit the the Jewish Historical Museum there but somehow I was more taken by the visit in the synagogue, so I never got around to reporting about the museum itself. Until now, of course.

Like many other Jewish museums, this one showcases the basics of the religion, history of the local Jewish culture, WWII events and Judaism in the modern day. Downstairs the museum, you can read all about the religion, its habits and holidays. Spiced up with videos and a portable private audio phone, if you have time, you can learn everything. Since I'm already more or less familiar with the basics, I tried to tune in for information I didn't know. A tidbit like this I found and share with you now: it is common among Jews to engrave ”mazal tov” inside wedding rings.

Moving upstairs, you will learn about how the Jewish community formed in the Netherlands. Sephardi Jewish merchants fled from the Iberian peninsula to the more free-thinking Northern Europe, and due to their language and business skills were a welcome addition to the already trade & shipping driven Holland in the 1600s. The Ashkenazim Jews from Germany and Poland were less-welcomed, as they usually came from more humble conditions.

The last room upstairs concentrates on 1900s-2000s, what happened to the Dutch Jews under the German rule and how the Jewish culture is nowadays live and well in the Netherlands.

The infamous yellow star badges, mass-produced in Dutch language.

Note in the middle in red text Maoz. A nice falafel place in Amsterdam (but not nearly as good as Fafa's!).

The museum ends in, this material girl's favorite, a gift shop of course! I didn't leave empty-handed this time but picked up a dreidel for myself (which turned out to be much fun), an Einstein energy bar for the diligent student (still not eaten – check the expiry date!), some Hebrew postcards (to learn words) and a Jerusalem card game for my cousin (turned out to be too advanced even for the likes of her).

A lamb cuddled up in the hug of a lion can only mean one thing: shalom - peace!

With the same entrance fee (€12), you may visit all the sights in the Jewish Quarter. For those interested, the shiksa recommends! Wonder how the kids' section is, though?