Country: netherlands
This livestream walking tour guides you and your students through the old Jewish district of Amsterdam and highlights the highs and lows the community experienced from the late 1500s to the present day, ending with a visit to the powerful and moving National Holocaust Memorial. Students be able to ask me questions in real-time as I guide them from out on location on this live virtual tour filled with cornerstone history, memorable highlights, captivating views, and cultural insights. Amsterdam has a complex and varied Jewish history that dates back to the late 16th century, when Sephardic Jews arrived, followed by Ashkenazi refugees several decades later. Openly welcomed, they quickly became an integral part of the city's culture, identity, and daily life. Successive granting of rights and integration into Dutch society was so successful that the distinction between Jewish and “native” Dutch became blurred, and as religion ceased to be considered a defining factor in the 1800s. Inclusivity abruptly came to an end with the Nazi occupation during World War II and the peaceful coexistence was shattered. The brutal persecution of the Jews and other minorities during the Holocaust is a dark stain on the city's history. Post-war generations have commemorated the victims and honor their memory throughout the city with monuments small and large, culminating in the stirring National Holocaust Memorial, completed in 2021. Discover the rich and diverse Jewish history of Amsterdam, from its beginnings in a diverse yet inclusive past, through the persecution of the Holocaust, and to its challenging present, on this unforgettable livestream virtual tour.
Your guide: Mark Law