#ets haim

Ets Haim Bibliotheek / Livraria Montezinos, Amsterdam.

Ets Haim is the oldest still functioning Jewish library in the world. It was founded in 1639 and has been housed in the historical complex of the Portuguese Jewish community of Amsterdam since 1675. In 1889 the private library of the then librarian David Montezinos was donated to Ets Haim and the library is known since then as Ets Haim/Livraria Montezinos.

Amsterdam’s churches – the Portuguese Synagogue

The Portuguese Synagogue is found across the street from the Ashkenazi synagogue at Jonas Daniel Meijerplein in the former Jewish quarter of Amsterdam. In the 17th century, when it was built by Sephardic Jews, it was the largest synagogue in the world.

Of the large synagogue complex the Portuguese Synagogue (also called Esnoga or simply Snoge) is the only one that still fulfills its original…