About The Netherlands
The Netherlands, a country in northwestern Europe, is known for a flat landscape of canals, tulip fields, windmills and cycling routes. Amsterdam, the capital, is home to the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum and the house where Jewish diarist Anne Frank hid during WWII. Canalside mansions and a trove of works from artists including Rembrandt and Vermeer remain from the city's 17th-century "Golden Age." "Netherlands" literally means "lower countries", influenced by its low land and flat geography, with only about 50% of its land exceeding one metre above sea level. The predominant wind direction in the Netherlands is southwest, which causes a moderate maritime climate, with warm summers and cool winters, and typically high humidity. Amsterdam is the capital city and most populous city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The city is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe it is known for its historic canals, which earned it the monniker Venice of the North, as well as a host of historic buildings and state of the art facilities. The country is known for growing tulips, its canals and reclaimed land from the sea, there are many towns and cities to visit with rich historical interest, plus interesting countryside.
Jewish History, POI & Kosher Establishments in The Netherlands
Amsterdam (15,000) is the focus of the Netherlands' Jewish community. There are medium-size communities in Rotterdam and The Hague, and small ones in Amersfoort, Arnhem, Bussum, Eindhoven, Enschede, Groningen, Haarlem, Hilversum, Leeuwarden, Leiden, Utrecht, and Zwolle. Contemporary Dutch Jewry is overwhelmingly Ashkenazi. Prior to the Holocaust, 140,000 Jews were living in the Netherlands. The Jewish Quarter of Amsterdam is located in the very heart of the Dutch capital. Since the early 17th century until the beginning of World War II, it was one of the world’s major centers of Jewish life and culture. By 1940, more than 10 percent of Amsterdam’s residents were Jews. Their influence on Dutch society was palpable. Until today, the Dutch call their capital ‘Mokum’, a term that derives from the Yiddish word for ‘place’. During the Middle Ages, even though Dutch Jews were socially, economically and professionally restricted, they enjoyed religious freedom to a great extent. This enabled them to build the imposing Portuguese Synagogue in 1675 (pictured). It still stands there in its authentic state. In November 2011, Queen Beatrix reinaugurated the compound following two years of renovation. Today it is possibile to see the Ets Haim Jewish Library and to visit the underground treasure chambers. There, a collection of unique Jewish objects is exposed which surprisingly survived the war, although some of them were confiscated by the Nazi’s and taken to the Institute for Study of the Jewish Question in Frankfurt, Germany.
