We will be in Amsterdam in October and love to visit all the Jewish places and learn about the Jewish history. We also like to do this with tour guides. From my research there are two wonderful woman that do Jewish tours. Have any of you heard of Jeanette Loeb or Naomi Koopmans? Any information would be appreciated.
Posted by
Florida
1443 posts
Last June I took a superb walking tour led by Ben de Jong of History Walks. This walk focused on the Jewish experience during the German occupation. de Jong is a retired history professor from a local university and his leadership was enlightening and a bit somber (how could it be otherwise?).
The city looks different once he points out that the park where you now see children playing is where the first Jews of the occupation were rounded up and sent to an extermination camp. The lovely single-house over yonder that is now a charming B&B was home to collaborators or to a Jewish family. Where you're standing now once stood a Jewish orphanage which the fascists so thoughtfully razed. And Dam Square, so popular today for public drunkenness among tourists, is where German snipers, just before exiting the city in front of the Canadian advance, opened fire on civilians celebrating an end to their national nightmare.
30 euros for a great experience.
Posted by
1 posts
Thank you for the recommendation for the World War II and Holocaust walking tour. My questions are:
does the tour include The Portuguese Synagogue? What other places did you visit on the tour?
I understand the tour does not include the Anne Frank Huis, Deportation Center or Resistance Museum - plan to do those on my own.
Did you travel with a group or on your own?
What was the tour reservation experience like for you?
Thanks for your reply.
Cathy
Posted by
Lynnwood, Washington
8375 posts
I would like to suggest that if you have time, the Corrie Ten Boom House in Haarlem is also a very worthwhile experience. Tours are limited to 20 people so you a much more intimate sense of what life and hiding were like. If you have time, read or watch "The Hiding Place" in advance.
Posted by
New Paltz, NY
9100 posts
If you would like to attend Shabbat services, there is a new Syanagague built near the RAI convention center. The building and especially the interior are spectacular.
More details here: