Sephardic Jewish Genealogy in The Netherlands

The Netherlands is a treasure trove for people researching Sephardic Jewish Genealogy. In particular the Amsterdam, both Portuguese and civil, are very complete.

Syndics of the Drapers’ Guild, by Rembrandt

Historical Background

Sephardic Jews settled in The Netherlands during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. They were usually called Portuguese Jews. The Protestant Dutch were fighting for independence from Catholic Spain.

The Netherlands, particularly Amsterdam, attracting Sephardic Jews who were skilled in trade, finance, publishing and other professions. Also, impoverished refugees arrived. Sephardic Jews contributed to the Dutch Golden Age, notably through establishing international trade networks.

As well as migrants from the Iberian peninsula, Sephardic Jews arrived from Morocco (famously, Samuel Pallache was Moroccan ambassador), the Mediterranean Sephardic communities, and as Belogrado refugees from the Balkans.

The Netherlands are not synonymous with Amsterdam. Smaller Sephardic Jewish populations lived in other cities, especially The Hague and Middelburg. Sephardim were also reported to be living in Rotterdam, Alkmaar, Groningen, and Haarlem. Not all Dutch cities were friendly to Jews.

Amsterdam (Mokum)

Amsterdam was the principal city of Sephardic settlement in The Netherlands. It was also know as Mokum, derived from Hebrew meaning “the place”, and was also called the “Jerusalem of the North”.

By the early 17th century, the Sephardic Jewish community in Amsterdam had grown substantially, establishing synagogues, schools, and charitable institutions.

Sephardic Genealogical Resources in Amsterdam

Amsterdam City Archives

The Amsterdam City Archive (Stadsarchief Amsterdam) is the most important resource for Sephardic genealogy. The archives contain the records of the city of Amsterdam; communities within it, including the Portuguese Jews; and twenty million pages of notarial records. Much of this archive has been digitised and is now searchable online. In 2024 they introduced an AI search tool.

Archives of the Portuguese Jewish Community

Known in Dutch as the Archief van de Portugees-Israëlietische Gemeente, this massive archive is stored at inventory reference 334. Most of the earlier documents are handwritten in Portuguese, with much of the remainder handwritten in Dutch.

Major resources for genealogists in the Amsterdam Portuguese-Jewish archives include:

  • Birth Registers (Geboorteregister) (Registro dos Nacimentos)
  • Circumcision Registers, but also check the collection of Ets Haim Library.
  • Ketuboth. Jewish marriage contracts, written in Aramaic
  • Burial Registers
  • Despachos. Lists of people who were funded to travel to other places

There is much more, including Accounts Books, correspondence, and everything associated with the bureaucracy of the synagogue and many of the organisations of the community.

Video presentations:

Amsterdam Notarial Archives

In the 18th century, a notary played a crucial role in legal and administrative matters. Notaries were responsible for drafting, authenticating, and preserving various types of legal documents, including contracts, wills, marriage agreements, and property transactions. They ensured that these documents were legally binding and conformed to the law. Notaries also provided legal advice to individuals and businesses, acted as mediators in disputes, and maintained detailed records and archives of all transactions they handled.

Video presentation:

Amsterdam Civil Records

The Civil Registry (Burgerlijke Stand) was introduced in 1811 during the French occupation of The Netherlands.

The records most relevant to genealogists include:

  1. Birth Records (Geboorteakten): These documents provide information about individuals’ birthdates, parents’ names, and places of birth.
  2. Marriage Records (Huwelijksakten): These records contain details about the marriage, including the names, ages, and places of birth of the bride and groom, as well as their parents’ names.
  3. Death Records (Overlijdensakten): These include information about the deceased, such as their age at death, place of death, and sometimes information about surviving family members.
  4. Population Registers (Bevolkingsregisters): Introduced in 1850, these registers track the movement and residence of individuals and families, providing a continuous record of where people lived and when they moved.

Portuguese Jewish Community of Amsterdam

Most of Amsterdam’s Sephardic community were murdered in the Holocaust. Fortunately the Esnoga, the synagogue, survived and today functions as both a synagogue and museum. The congregation, known as Talmud Torah, was formed in the 17th century from the amalgamation of three pre-existing congregations.

The congregations historic archives are now held by the Amsterdam City Archives (see above).

Ets Haim Library

Ets Haim Library, also known as the Montesinos Library, is the oldest Jewish library in the world. It holds a priceless collection of Jewish manuscripts, many of which have not yet been catalogued. The library is located within the synagogue complex.

Several Circumcision Registers are in the library’s collection:

Circumcision registers for The Hague in Ets Haim library are listed in the section for The Hague, below.

Video presentations:

Beth Haim Portuguese Cemetery

Beth Haim, literally meaning ‘House of Life’ in Hebrew, refers to a Jewish cemetery. The Portuguese Jewish cemetery, known as Portugese Begraafplaats Beth Haim, is located outside Amsterdam in the small town of Ouderkerk aan de Amstel.

Other AMSTERDAM Resources

Video presentations

Sephardic Jews in The Hague

Amsterdam in the capital of The Netherlands, but The Hague is the seat of government.

Sephardic congregations:

  • Beth Jacob (synagogue from 1707)
  • Honen Dal (synagogue from 1726)

These merged in 1743 as Honen Dal, using the synagogue on the Princessegracht.

Honen Dal survived the Second World War. Torah scrolls and other treasures that had been hidden in Amsterdam were returned. The congregation was dissolved after the Second World War and the building sold to Liberal Judaism.

Resources for Sephardic Genealogy in The Hague

Synagogue of the Sephardic Jews of The Hague, Riemer, 1731

Middelburg

History of the Portuguese Jews of Middelburg

Key Points:

  • Commercial capital of Zeeland
  • Jews living in the city by 1668. Some sources say a synagogue was established in 1655. Another states that Jacob Judah Aryeh Leon Templo was Haham before 1643.
  • Possible connections to Dutch Brazil and Canary Islands
  • Sephardic cemetery with notable burials
  • Community was small and declined by the late 18th century. Many Portuguese Jews moved to larger cities like Amsterdam or The Hague.

Middelburg-specific resources

Sephardic Jews in other Cities (Rotterdam, Groningen and Haarlem)

Sephardic Jews in Rotterdam

Here’s a 5-10 line summary of the document on Sephardic Jews in Rotterdam:

Portuguese Jewish merchants, first settled in Rotterdam in 1610, granted permits for trade and religious freedom. Despite initial challenges, the community grew, especially after 1647 when they received rights equal to those in Amsterdam. They established synagogues, a Talmudic school, and cemeteries. The community was primarily engaged in international trade during the late 17th century. However, their numbers declined in the early 18th century, and by 1736, the Portuguese-Jewish community ceased to exist independently, with remaining members joining the Ashkenazi community.

Sephardic Jewish Genealogical Sources for Rotterdam

Sephardic Jews in Groningen

Jews were banned from living there until 1683, so settled in nearby Appingedam and nearby villages. In 1700 there were just fifty Jews in Groningen. The city banned them again in 1710 after an accusation of theft, but not everyone left. They seem to have returned in the 1730s, and ninety Jews were reported to be living in the city in 1744. Several of the Jews seem to have been tobacco merchants.

Sephardic Jewish Genealogical Sources for Groningen

Sephardic Jews in Haarlem

Portuguese Jewish merchants attempted to settle in Haarlem in 1605 but were  refused on the unusual basis that there were not enough of them. The local authorities required fifty families if they were to give permission to build a synagogue. My impression is that the Haarlem city fathers were trying to win the Jews away from Amsterdam. The Jewish negotiators were looking for greater religious freedoms than they currently enjoyed in Amsterdam but, in the end, Haarlem side were insisting on too many conditions.

General Resources for Sephardic Jewish Genealogy in The Netherlands

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