Amsterdam was, from the late sixteenth century, a haven for Sephardi Jews fleeing the Iberian Inquisition, and later for Ashkenazim from Central and Eastern Europe — earning the city the nickname "Jerusalem of the West." Its magnificent Portuguese Synagogue (Esnoga), inaugurated in 1675, still stands and is used today.
The community was decimated in the Holocaust, a history movingly told at sites including the Jewish Cultural Quarter and the Anne Frank House. Jewish life continues, with synagogues, kosher shops, restaurants, and caterers.
Use Jewish Compass to find kosher food, synagogues, mikvahs, and Jewish heritage in and around Amsterdam.