Jewish Historical Museum, Amsterdam

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This museum documents and shows the history of Jewish people in Amsterdam. It starts with showing how Jewish people arrived in Amsterdam and there struggle to be accepted in to Dutch society over nearly 500 years. There is naturally a large display on the Jewish peoples hard times in World War 2 and moving film of deportations. In one elderly people actually wave and smile at the camera who had no idea of their fate and another shows a train made up of cattle trucks leaving the Westerbork transit camp - the woman next to me was in tears as she watched.
Equally harrowing was the sight as an exhibit of an orange dress that belonged to a little girl who died in a concentration camp.
There was a special exhibition of Jewish pre-war entertainers many of who died in the Holocaust.
The synagogue is a beautiful part of the museum but only go if you are prepared for what you are to see.
I paid 9 euros admittance for the museum only and did not realise this did not include the synagogue but no one questioned me when I went in.
There is a cafe , clean rest rooms and a research area. Disabled friendly.

The Jewish Historical Museum, located in the old Jewish quarter, incorporates several older buildings - and the interior of an old synagogue. It offers an interesting perspective upon eight centuries of Jewish life in Amsterdam, from times of persecution and refuge in the medieval era, to times of persecution and refuge in the modern era. There are both permanent exhibits and space for temporary or travelling shows, so the displays here are constantly being revised and updated. Very interesting to see the challenges and triumphs and tragedies of the Jewish community here - it should be seen by everyone who visits the Anne Frank house!

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This is one of the best Jewish museums that I've visited, and I've been to quite a few across Europe.

A very large and well presented museum, the narrative from the arrival of Lisbon Jews in the 1600s, through 20th century devestation to present regeneration, takes you physically through the Great Synagogue and into the New Synagogue. The exhibits are interesting and varied with excellent interactive display screens as well as interactive videos.

What is great about this museum is the diversity of exhibits and the fact that the narrative is not wholly based on 20th century events. It is truly a historical museum that focuses on Jewish life and history through the centuries. What I've found in other Jewish museums is that the focus on the Holocaust means that you can leave without actually learning anything. Holocaust overload if you will.

The museum also has temporary exhibits which can take a while to get through on their own. While I was there I saw an exhibition on Jewish memory in comic strip art and another of photography from the 1930s by Kurt Lubinski [both on until 8 June 2008].

Open daily 11.00 to 17.00. Entrance 7.50 adults, 3.00 children. Free with the Iamsterdam card.

I really impressed by the museums of Amsterdam. Thanks to my Iamsterdam card. If I did not have it I couldn’t see many of these museums.
I visited Jewish Historical Museum after Hortus. They are very close to each other.
The building had been a synagogue. I climbed the stairs and came into a big hall. There is a covered rectangular section in the middle of the hall. Objects of Jewish daily life were being presented there. On the walls there were video recordings of the WW II era. I mostly impressed by the arrangement of object-video-story combination in this hall. There were benches to sit and every bench has a touchpad TV and an object like a suitcase, a barrel, etc. After I sat the bench with the suitcase with a name in big letters on it, I learned its story. It was one of the suitcases that Jews had been allowed to bring with them to the concentration camps. On the TV you can watch a review with the owner of the object or a relative. I learned that the barrel had been used to store pickles of cabbage. It had been a famous product of Jewish District. On the TV set I watched an old man’s childhood memories about the pickles. He told that he’d used to buy pickles when he’d got money. This review had been recorded in the streets I’d walked before I came to this museum. He told that he was searching for years the secondhand objects in the open bazaar for the hope of finding something which belonged to his family.
The following hall has some painting of Jozef Israëls’. Also it tells the story of Jews in Amsterdam. The hall under this one has a collection about religious life and traditions of Jews. You can learn some details of marriage ceremonies, mourning, etc. in this hall. Unfortunately I couldn’t stay here as much as I wanted.
Then I'd a chance to see The Jewish Rembrandt exhibition here. Since 2006 was the Rembrandt’s 400th birthday, there had been many exhibitions with different themes. (I visited one of them in Istanbul Pera Museum.) I think this was the last exhibition of Rembrandt 400.

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With only a few hours before we had to return to Central Station and catch our train to Brussels, we decided to visit this museum as we hadn't been before and it was within easy walking distance of our hotel.

The sign outside says "free entrance" and that will get you as far as the small cafe (selling typical Jewish (Kosher) food) .... to actually get in the museum it's 3E.

We only really had time to visit the downstairs of the building which focuses on Jewish beliefs and practises and stencil our names in Hebrew. It was interesting enough but I would like to see the upstairs next time which is more about the social history of Jews in Amsterdam and their roles in industry.

The museum is housed in what were once four Ashkenazi synagogues dating from the 17th century.

Open 11-5pm - and it is closed on Yom Kippur.

This wonderful museum located in a series of 17th and 18th Century Synagogues features exhibits on the temples and the history of the Jews of Amsterdam. There also more generalized exhibits on the Jewish Religion. A special section geared to children is also found on the premises.

Fascinating museum in what used to be 4 synagogues in Amsterdam's old Jewish quarter. Tells the story of Amsterdam's once very large Jewish community. During my visit there was also an amazing photo exhibition of the works of the Russian soldier who took famous photo of the Soviet flag being raised over the Reichstag in Berlin.

The complex of the Jewish Historical Museum consists of four synagogues built in 17th and 18th century (the oldest building is the Great Synagogue - it was consecrated on 26 March 1671). After restoration, the previous Jewish Historical Museum, which was housed in the medieval Weigh House on Nieuwmarkt, moved in 1987 to this complex.
Religion, culture and history of the Jews in the Netherlands and in general are central in this museum.