As she walks through the church, she shows how a room has been decorated with photos, sound clips and a pickle stick machine, as a tribute to the many Jewish street vendors the city once had. A little further on there are models of large department stores such as Bijenkorf and Hirsch, which were set up by Jewish families. And there is a small portrait of Ephraim Bueno, doctor and notable within the Jewish community, painted by his neighbor Rembrandt.
A shameful mystery
The fact that so many Jews lived in Amsterdam was mainly due to the Spanish Inquisition and later Napoleonic laws that prohibited Jews from practicing their faith. That freedom was there in Amsterdam. Birnie: “Amsterdam has traditionally been a very free place, for all faiths.”
But that atmosphere of freedom changed. During the war, three-quarters of Amsterdam’s 80,000 Jews were deported and murdered. That something like this could happen in a city so colored and shaped by its Jews is still a shameful mystery.
“I still find that very sad to this day. The city abandoned its Jews back then.” The exhibition also shows images of the apologies that Mayor Halsema made for the role of Amsterdam during and after the persecution of the Jews.
Photos by Erwin Olaf
And now the Jewish community is also under pressure. The situation in the Middle East has put relations in the city on edge. But also, or perhaps especially in these times, the power of community is strong. Photos by Erwin Olaf and interviews with Amsterdam Jews especially emphasize that power. Annabelle Birnie: “What you see in those photos and the interviews is the pride and resilience of the Jewish community. That is necessary, especially in these times, and it gives hope.”