The Jewish Historical Museum first opened in 1932. When the Nazis occupied the Netherlands during World War II, the museum was closed and a lot of its collection was lost or destroyed. The museum reopened in 1955, but in 1987 it moved to its current location in the three Ashkenazi synagogues close to the Portuguese Synagogue. This is a museum of Amsterdam's Jewish culture and the religion's holy days.
*An exhibit on the circumcision of young Jewish boys
Many of the objects in the museum really caught my eye. They were really beautiful! I have never been so engrossed by so much beauty and culture in one place. One of the holidays that I read a lot about was Purim, which is coming this Sunday. It is a feast to celebrate the escape of the Jews of Persia. They are similar to the Jews who fled Nazi Germany, but they succeeded in fleeing for their lives. It is interesting to me how the timing of this Holocaust study tour aligned with the Purim. The Purim holiday and the Holocaust have many things in common. Both are important events that need to be remembered.
*John looking at an ancient Torah
Leo Ullman, one of the survivors with whom we are traveling, has personal connections to this museum. His parents were married in one of the synagogues before it became part of the museum. It was a very powerful to experience to be part of someone's history and to hear from him in person. I am looking forward to more experiences such as these on this trip.
These pictures really show how fascinated everyone is. The fact that his parents were married there before it was turned into a museum is very moving. It's a shame that a lot of the collection was destroyed.
ReplyDeleteI truly enjoyed reading your post. It is highly unfortunate this museum lost so much during the war; however, it is even more inspiring that it was able to endure the worst of hardships to continue celebrating the heart of a culture that fought to survive. It must have been touching to hear about the connection one of the survivors has with the museum. I can only imagine how real it felt, and I'm sure the emotional connections you were able to make throughout this journey will stay with you forever. Thank you for sharing these wonderfully touching experiences with the rest of us.
ReplyDeleteIt is satisfying knowing that there can be so much beauty within the culture after a horrifying act.
ReplyDeleteHow fascinating to have visited this museum! I have been to the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC a few times, and it truly is heartbreaking. The mind cannot wrap itself around the atrocities. What an honor to experience the museum in the company of a survivor! To hear history from a primary source- there's nothing better!
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing to hear how much this museum has been though. I am sure than it has the same feeling as the Holocaust Museum in D.C. and I would be very interested in going to one day to visit this one to see how the peoples stories are portrayed there.
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing that you got the opportunity to visit this museum! I was just in Germany in December and didn't get a chance to visit any of the Holocaust Memorials there but I know how heartbreaking and moving it can be to visit these sites. There is nothing better than to learn the history from such great sources. Thank you for sharing this!
ReplyDeleteThis was an interesting read! I think that is really cool that you were able to visit the Jewish museum around the same time as a Jewish holiday. It seems as though you had a really great time and learned a lot about the Jews during and after the Holocaust.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing about your experience! I have heard about Purim before, but never knew the origins or what it really celebrated. It was interesting to hear where this holiday started! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI hope to one day also be able to visit the Jewish Historical Museum. My mother's side of my family is Jewish so I like to be able to study the decent of where I come from. It must have been fascinating to see all this history.
ReplyDeleteIt is truly sad that so much was lost from the original museum, but at least they did not give up and that the museum has grown into what it is today. I think we need to do a better job of being aware of other parts of history too, for example, learning about Purim as well as the Holocaust since, as you said, both need to be remembered.
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