This ketuba, which is from the National Library’s Ketubot collection, was written in 1617 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands for David and Rachel Coriel.
The highly decorative gilded ketuba was written on parchment and measured 61.1 x 48 cm. Different trees and plants adorn the sides of the text, and at the bottom of the document there is the blessing stating that the bride should enter the house like Rachel and Leah, who were responsible for building the foundations of the Jewish people. At the top of the document are illustrations of two cherubs, perhaps representative of angels who are blessing the marriage.
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Ketubah – The ketubah is the Jewish wedding contract that is signed as a central part of the wedding ceremony. Written in Aramaic, the text of the ketubah was codified in the first century CE. An entire tractate of the Talmud called Ketubot is devoted to discussing the purpose and requirements of wedding contracts. The ketubah outlines the rights and responsibilities of the groom toward his bride: the amount of money he must pay, the contents of her dowry, and the settlement in case of divorce. While the text has been very consistent throughout history, ketubah designs are very varied and many have calligraphic text and are illuminated. The National Library of Israel features over 4,200 ketubot on its collections, spanning the entire Jewish world over hundreds of years.
The Jewish Community of Amsterdam – The largest and most significant Jewish community in Holland was located in Amsterdam, and it has existed for around 400 years. Sephardi Jews first settled in the city in the sixteenth century, many originating in families who had been expelled from Spain at the end of the previous century. The Jews flourished in Amsterdam, where they were allowed to practise their religion freely, and they contributed to the city’s economic growth in the seventeenth century. The first Ashkenazi Jews arrived in Amsterdam in the middle of the seventeenth century, fleeing from pogroms in Poland. Ashkenazi Jews soon outnumbered the Sephardi community, and by the end of the eighteenth century it was one of the largest communities in Western and Central Europe, earning Amsterdam the name “Jerusalem of the West” and “Mokum,” the Yiddish word for “place,” symbolising its status as a safe haven. During World War II, Holland was occupied by Nazi Germany, and the Jews of Amsterdam were rounded up and deported to concentration and death camps. Anne Frank, who was originally from Germany, spent the war years hiding in an Amsterdam attic, until she was discovered and sent to Buchenwald. Her famous diary provides unique documentation of these times and draws millions of tourist to her last home in the city. In total, at least 80 percent of the Dutch Jewish community were murdered during the Holocaust. In the years following the war, the Jewish community slowly rebuilt itself. Today, there are many synagogues in Amsterdam – among them the historical Esnoga synagogue – providing for the different Jewish communities and denomination. There are also Jewish primary and secondary schools, cultural organisations, and youth movements.
The Jewish Community of the Netherlands – Jews have been living in the Netherlands since the Roman era, but the most reliable records referring to Jews living in Nijmegen, Doesburg, and Arnhem date back to the 1100s. The spread of the Black Death during the Middle Ages led to much anti-Semitism, blood libels, expulsions, and massacres in the Netherlands, as in other European countries. Documentation describes that Jews provided services, mainly financial, and paid taxes and in return received some protection from the kings and nobles. In the late fifteenth century, Jews were expelled or forced to convert to Christianity in Spain and Portugal. The atmosphere in the Netherlands, however, was more tolerant and favourable for the Jews, and many Spanish and Portuguese Jews arrived in the country, where they could practise their religion freely. Many of these Spanish and Portuguese Jews settled in Amsterdam and established successful trading businesses. Famous Jews of this time included the rabbi Menasseh Ben Israel and the philosopher Baruch Spinoza. German Jews were also attracted to the tolerant Dutch cities and began to immigrate to the country. They were generally poorer than the Sephardi Jews who had already settled in the Netherlands and were less welcome. Many were turned away and ended up settling in rural areas and establishing Jewish communities throughout the Dutch provinces. Over time, these Jews also prospered, and many were responsible for founding the Dutch diamond business. The eighteenth century brought the Dutch Jews emancipation and further prosperity. By the outbreak of World War II around 140,000 Jews lived in the Netherlands, among them approximately 25,000 German Jewish refugees. Germany occupied the country in 1940, and only 35,000 Dutch Jews survived the Holocaust. The Dutch Jewish community underwent many changes after the war, and many of the survivors immigrated to Israel and other countries. In the 1980s the community was boosted by an influx of Israeli and Russian Jews, and currently around 45,000 Jews live in the Netherlands, mostly in Amsterdam.
