Amsterdam

Famous for its Van Gogh Museum, redlight district, and beautiful canals, Amsterdam is also one of the best cities to explore Jewish heritage.

Amsterdam was one of the most tolerant cities in the middle ages, and even in 1657 Jews were recognized as full citizens. Many Dutch Jews were valued for their business skills and language abilities, so they worked in industries from diamond-cutting to silk to sugar.

Holland was the first country in Europe to accept allow Jews to have governmental posts and to accept Jews in the Parliament.

From visiting the renovated Anne Frank House to a Jewish walking tour around the Portuguese synagogue, Jewish heritage tours of Amsterdam are surprising, fascinating, and a great opportunity to learn about a once vibrant Jewish community and how the contemporary Jewish world is coming to terms with the past.

On a Jewish walking tour of Amsterdam, get to know the city of canals. Walk by houseboats, take a bike ride in one of the most bicycle-friendly cities on earth, and learn the stories of Dutch citizens who resisted Nazi occupation. Learn about contemporary Amsterdam and the 30 synagogues that still remain in the country.

Discover Jewish life in the Netherlands at the Amsterdam Jewish Museum, which also includes a section on Jewish culture in the Netherlands across history, or visit the National Holocaust Museum

Take an Amsterdam Jewish Quarter Walking Tour and discover what life was like pre-war for Amsterdam’s Jews, or a Jewish history tour of Amsterdam to discover the influence of Portuguese Jews escaping from the Inquisition to the Netherlands.

Amsterdam is a lovely location for Jewish family tours, Jewish educational travel, and other types of Jewish tours. It’s a vibrant city with a rich history, and a unique location in Europe to visit for a memorable vacation.