The beautiful Portuguese Synagogue, also called the Esnoga, is one of the most important legacies of the vibrant Jewish community in Amsterdam. Until the Holocaust Jews made up more than 10% of the population of Amsterdam. During the 16th and 17th century, many Jews that faced persecution in Spain and Portugal fled to Amsterdam. The religious tolerance they enjoyed in the Dutch Republic was unheard of in the rest of Europe.In 1665, the Jewish community decided to build a new synagogue. The new synagogue was to be the biggest in the world. Architects Elias Bouwman and Daniel Stalpaert were commissioned to build the synagogue. They started building in 1671 and in 1675 the Portuguese Synagogue was ready. It had cost the community not less than 186,000 florins. Minor restorations have been made but the synagogue still looks pretty much the same as 340 years ago.The architecture shows the self-confidence and wealth of the Jewish community in Amsterdam. It was the largest synagogue of its time and one of the biggest buildings of Amsterdam. A model of the Temple of Salomon in Jerusalem inspired the architects. Around the main building, there are various offices and archives, the rabbinate, a mortuary and the Ets Haim (Tree of Life) library that holds valuable collections of Sephardic manuscripts.
