museum
Joods Museum
The heart of the Jewish Cultural Quarter, on Jewish life and history in the Netherlands.
Photo: Joods Museum + junior / Google
In the old Jewish quarter near Waterlooplein, the Jewish Museum (Joods Museum) is the only museum in the Netherlands devoted to Jewish history, religion and culture. It's the centrepiece of the Jewish Cultural Quarter (Joods Cultureel Kwartier), which preserves four centuries of Jewish life in the city.
The museum occupies a remarkable complex of four monumental Ashkenazi synagogues, built in the second half of the 17th century and later joined together — so the galleries themselves are part of the experience, each space with its own atmosphere.
What you'll see
The collection brings together thousands of objects — religious artefacts, portraits, books, ceremonial silver and personal belongings — exploring Jewish tradition, the community's deep roots in Amsterdam, its persecution during the Second World War, and Jewish and Dutch cultural life today. There are changing temporary exhibitions too, and the Jewish Museum junior, designed for children, is set up like a Jewish family home.
Good to know
A combined ticket gives access to the wider Jewish Cultural Quarter — the Portuguese Synagogue, the Hollandsche Schouwburg and the National Holocaust Museum, all within walking distance. Allow around an hour and a half for the Jewish Museum alone, more to see the others.
Tips from locals
A combined Jewish Cultural Quarter ticket covers the Portuguese Synagogue, National Holocaust Museum and Hollandsche Schouwburg — worth it if you have the time.
Allow at least 1.5 hours here, and more if you want to see the other sites in the quarter.
Take your time in the synagogue spaces themselves — the architecture is part of the story.
Visiting with children? The Jewish Museum junior is set up like a family home and is made for them.
Note it's closed on King's Day and the Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
Did you know?
The museum is housed in four monumental Ashkenazi synagogues from the second half of the 17th century, later connected into one complex.
It first opened in 1932, was forced to close during the Second World War, and reopened afterwards.
It's the only museum in the Netherlands dedicated to Jewish history, religion and culture.
Its collection includes a portrait of the philosopher Baruch Spinoza, who was born in Amsterdam.
There has been a Jewish community in this part of the city for over 800 years.
FAQ
- What is the Jewish Museum?
- The Netherlands' only museum dedicated to Jewish history, religion and culture, in Amsterdam's old Jewish quarter.
- Where is it?
- At Nieuwe Amstelstraat 1, near Waterlooplein, in the Jewish Cultural Quarter.
- What building is it in?
- A complex of four monumental 17th-century Ashkenazi synagogues.
- Is it suitable for children?
- Yes — the Jewish Museum junior is designed for children and set up like a Jewish family home.
- Can I visit the other Jewish Quarter sites?
- Yes — a combined ticket covers the Portuguese Synagogue, Hollandsche Schouwburg and National Holocaust Museum nearby.
Jewish Museum, Amsterdam
Nieuwe Amstelstraat 1, 1011 PL, Amsterdam