The Jewish Historical Museum in Amsterdam offers a fascinating insight into Jewish culture and history, with various artefacts on show and lots of audio visiual accounts of Jewish customs and beliefs and some personal accounts too. I was so absorbed that the announcement over the tannoy that the museum would be closing in 15 minutes came as a surprise – time had just flown by without me even noticing.
My ticket also got me access (so long as it was within a month of issue – I visited the following day) to the Portuguese synagogue just over the road, the National Holocaust Museum about half a mile away and the National Holocause Memorial (effectively a theatre where thousands of Dutch Jews were held pending transit to a camp) which is just across the road from the National Holocaust Museum.
It would also have got me access to the Childrens Museum (on the site of the Jewish Historical Museum) but I didn’t get the time to do that one, sadly.
Enjoyed the Portuguese synagogue – again, a wealth of history and some fascinating insights into Judaism.
The National Holocaust Museum is still in development but nonetheless some moving personal accounts with possessions which some of those who were sent to concentration camps had left with friends and neighbours for safekeeping until they returned – but sadly never did. The National Holocaust memorial was for me probably the most touching of all, with some absolutely riveting film footage, a memorial on the wall of the surnames of the families taken away to the camps and outside some moving tributes to those who never came home.
The ticket cost 17 euro and really was money well spent – you could easily spend a day and more looking round these wonderful museums which were rich in education as well as interest. If you are in Amsterdam they are not to be missed.
