Beth Haim of Ouderkerk aan de Amstel
| Beth Haim | |
|---|---|
בית חיים | |
Grave markers in the cemetery's southwestern corner, facing Ouderkerk's historic drawbridge over the Bullewijk branch of the Amstel, 2005 | |
| Details | |
| Established | 1614 |
| Location | |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Coordinates | 52°17′43″N 4°54′15″E / 52.29528°N 4.90417°E |
| Type | Jewish |
| Size | 4 hectares (9.9 acres) |
| No. of interments | 28,000+ |
| Website | www |
| Designated | 15 December 1970 |
| Reference no. | 31967 |
The Beth Haim of Ouderkerk aan de Amstel[a] is the oldest Jewish cemetery in the Netherlands.[2]
History
The land was purchased for use as a burying ground by the Jewish community of Amsterdam in 1614 and is located in the village of Ouderkerk aan de Amstel, in the countryside near Amsterdam.[3]
The Jewish population of Amsterdam are sephardic from the Iberian Peninsula who arrived in Holland during the 17th century.[4]
Facilities
Monuments
In addition to its age, the graveyard is interesting because the tombstones have inscriptions in three languages, Portuguese, Dutch and Hebrew, and because, unusually for a Jewish cemetery, many of the tombstones are carved with elaborate scenes including human figures.
Visitation
The cemetery is open to visitors and is free of charge.
Notable burials
Famous people buried at the Beth Haim include:
- Samuel Pallache (ca. 1550–1616), Moroccan diplomat[5][6]
- Joseph Pallache (c. 1580 – 1638/1648/1657) merchant and diplomat
- numerous members of the Pallache family (subsequently known as: "Palache") descendants of brothers Samuel and Joseph Pallache
- Menasseh Ben Israel (1604–1657), rabbi and friend of the artist Rembrandt van Rijn
- Joseph Pardo (ca. 1561–1619), Italian rabbi[7]
- David Pardo (ca. 1591–1657), Dutch rabbi and son of Joseph Pardo[8]
- Eliahu Montalto (1604–1657), personal physician to Maria de Medici (of the Medici family)
- Joseph Pardo (ca. 1624–1677), English hazzan[9]
- the philosopher Baruch Spinoza's parents (16th–17th centuries)
- Maup Caransa (1916-2009), real estate developer
In culture
Two paintings by Jacob van Ruisdael were inspired by Beth Haim. Although the paintings are usually called in English "The Jewish Cemetery at Ouderkerk", the artist felt free to add picturesque elements, and they therefore do not closely resemble the actual location.
See also
References
- ^ "Over Beth Haim". www.bethhaim.nl (in Dutch). Beth Haim. Retrieved 11 April 2025.
- ^ L. Alvarez Vega, The Beth Haim of Ouderkerk aan de Amstel, 1994
- ^ Beth Haim at Ouderkerk Archived May 16, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Steven M. Nadler, Rembrandt's Jews, University of Chicago Press, ISBN 0226567362, p.187-190 (link on line)
- ^ García-Arenal, Mercedes; Wiegers, Gerard (2007). A Man of Three Worlds: Samuel Pallache, a Moroccan Jew in Catholic and Protestant Europe. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 978-0-8018-9583-8.
- ^ "Palache, Samuel". Amstel: Dutch Jewry. Archived from the original on 15 September 2016. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
- ^ "Haham Joseph PARDO". 1999. Retrieved 1 Oct 2015.
- ^ "Rabbi/Haham David 'Joseph' PARDO". 1999. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
- ^ "Hazan Joseph 'David' PARDO". 1999. Retrieved 1 Oct 2015.
Notes
- ^ Beth Haim, meaning House of Life [1] in translation, is a transliteration of the Hebrew words: בית חיים (Hebrew is read leftwardly: from right to left)
External links
- Official website
- Burial lookup for the Gemeente Amsterdam Portuguese Israelite Congregation burials database