Jewish Historical Museum Amsterdam
The Jewish Historical Museum Foundation was established on 23 May 1930 for the purpose of ‘collecting and exhibiting that which presents a picture of Jewish life in general and Dutch Jewish life in particular, in the broadest sense of these terms; discussing in meetings everything related to this; and making use of all such means to promote Jewish art and learning’.
This mission statement still applies today, although with slight changes in emphasis. For instance, over the years the JHM has decided to devote more energy to collecting the work of Dutch Jewish artists and non-Jewish artists who dealt with Jewish themes.
Address
Jewish Historical Museum AmsterdamNieuwe Amstelstraat 1
1011 PL Amsterdam
Netherlands
On 24 Februari 1932 the Jewish Historical Museum was officially opened. It was located in a single room on the top floor of the Amsterdam Historical Museum, which was housed in the Weigh House on the Nieuwmarkt. The JHM would stay and expand in the Weigh House until 1987, when it moved to the restored complex of synagogues at Jonas Daniël Meijerplein.
On 3 May 1987 the doors of the new building opened to public. This complex is also known as the Ashkenazi Synagogue Complex. The complex consists of four synagogues (The Great Synagogue, the Obbene Shul, the Dritt Shul and the New Synagogue). Wherever possible the old components of the Synagogues were restored to their late 18th-century state, connected with modern materials such as glass and steel.
Interior Jewish Historical Museum, Ruud van Zwet
Since the museum was founded, some 11,000 objects have been added to the collection. A small selection is on display in the permanent exhibitions Religion, History of the Jews in the Netherlands 1600-1900, and History of the Jews in the Netherlands 1900-The Present Day. In addition, the Resource Centre holds approximately 43,000 books, brochures, documents, photographs, and audiovisual titles. The JHM Children's Museum features the permanent exhibition The Hollander family home.
Religion, culture and history of the Jews in the Netherlands and its former colonies are the main focus of the museum's collection and the Resource Centre.
From the collection
Chanoekia, Pieter Robol II, silver, Amsterdam, 1753.
On loan from NIHS, Amsterdam
On loan from NIHS, Amsterdam
Jews and the House of Orange. 400 years of history
After the War Was Over - Leonard Freed Photographs
Contemporary Art Acquisitions
Romantic Masters in The Hague
Jews in the Caribbean. Four Centuries of History in Suriname and Curacao
R.B. Kitaj: Unpacking My Library
Selamat Shabbat: The Unknown History of Jews in the Dutch East Indies
Art Gallery: School of London
