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Jewish cemetery Beth Haim atb Ouderkerk aan de Amstel.
Joint project of the Portuguese Israelite Community and Akevoth.
Published by Verloren in Hilversum
The First Sephardic Jews came to Amsterdam towards the
end of the this town enjoyed the fundamental freedom they were lacking
in the rest of Europe.
In 1612 there was still no permission to build a synagoge, though
services were held-with the knowledge of the municipal council-in
synagoges in private homes.
Twice, in 1606 and 1608, Portuguese-Jewish merchants requested
permission from the municipal council to buy a piece of land to bury
their dead, but this was rejected in both instances.
In the spring of 1614 they bought a small piece of land in Ouderkerk,
this time through intermediaries.
The purpose of the deal was not disclosed and no consent was asked for.
So the the municipal council of Amsterdam was officially not aware that
it concerned a Jewish cemetery.
Beth Haim was inaugurated with the burial of Joseph, the son of David
Senior.
The inhabitants of the village showed compassion with the death of the
child,but quickly the mood changed.
They protested with the authorities against the burial of Jews in their
village.
The `Staten van Holland` (the Governors of the Province of Holland )
dismissed the complaints and gave the Portuguese Jews official consent
to bury their dead in May 1614.The plot was completely redone and in
1616 came into renewed use officially.
Till that year, as from 1607, the Sephardim had buried their dead in
Groet near Alkmaar.Those interred in Groet, could be reburied at
Ouderkerk, upon the request of their relatives. In 1626 it was decided
to transfer the remains of the other deceased to Ouderkerk, as a
precautionary measure after the robbing of some gravestones. At least 52
persons from Groet were
reinterred in Ouderkerk.
At the outset, also Ashkenazi or “Hoogduitse” Jews used the cemetery in
Ouderkerk. Till spring 1642, when the cemetery of Muiderberg was
consecrated, at least 42 Ashkenazi Jews, among them 45 children, were
buried here.
Besides Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews also a group of black Jews, mostly
freed-slaves, has been buried in Ouderkerk.In total at least 40, up till
1716.
After that the colour of the skin of the deceased was not mentioned
anymore in the registers.
Those graves normally did not have a stone, but there is one exception.
In the summer of 2002 a (simple) stone was uncovered, under the
direction of a rabbi, on the most ancient part of the cemetery,
belonging to Elieser, the black servant of Paulo de Pina alias Rohjel
Jesurun. Elieser was buried in 1629; the rabbi could trace the stone
relying on the “cartons” of the famous researcher David Henriques de
Castro Mzn.
It is the only stone of a liberated slave and black Jew discovered in
Western Europe up till now.
Altogether about 30,000 people lay buried in Ouderkerk aan de Amstel.
The piece of land was at that time of purchase, of limited extent: - one
third of a “morgen”, meaning 0.28 hectare.On this small piece the
impressing tombstones of dr. Eliau Montalto, Don Samuel Palache and the
hahamim Izac Uziel and Joseph Pardo are still present.In 1663, 1671,
1690, and 1691 the parnassim (the governors of the Portuguese community)
bought
additional pieces of land.
After these acquisitions, the total area was about 28 `morgen`, that is
24 hectare. Most of it was leased out.At the end of the 20th century the
remaining space suitable for burial, was becoming too small.
The problem was solved by heightening a field with mostly graves dating
back to the eighteenth century.On this field, the use of which started
in 1924, chief rabbi Izack de Juda Palache was buried in December 1925.
His tomb is a creation of the sculptor Joseph Mendes da Costa.
The “Stone Room” (stenen kamer) dating from the Middle Ages, that stood
in the center of the plot, served up till 1643 as Rodeamentoshuis, the
House of Processions.In that year a new impressive house was built, near
the gate/entrance on the side leading to the village.In 1705 a second
building was erected, at the waterside, the Bullewijk.This
Rodeamentoshuis is still
in use, the other house functioned as accomodation for receptions and
the dwelling of the cemetery’s keeper.A storm in the autumn of 1836
destroyed this house.
The parnassim ordered the construction a an entirely new dwelling.
In 1838 it was put to use.This house still functions as premises of the
keeper of the cemetery and was recently renovated.
Almost every visitor to the Beth Haim in Ouderkerk is impressed by this
very special cemetery.Its location alongside the water, and in the
center of the village, the sculptured tombstones in the
grass among the elms and the willows and the characteristic
architecturalstyle of the Rodeamentoshuis contribute to this. It is
dominated by a pleasant calm and ease; in summer the birds sing and the
expert sees rare flowers, mosses, plants, grasses and butterflies :-no
use is made of articificial pesticides.When walking through the grass
and alongside the graves, the
visitor is overcome by a feeling of eternity and respect.The grandezza
on the old field, where the monumental tombs are situated, is still
touchable.
But also on the heightened field, where Haham Palache is buried, and on
the spot of the 19th century graves, with its many monuments, one lives
through history in a very direct manner.
Beth Haim has been added to the list of `rijksmonumenten`` (Monuments
are now officially protected by law),in 1963, two years later the plots
attached to it were sold.The Rodeamentohuis has been restored to its
original state of the 18th century in 1966.
The “Association for maintenance and upkeep of historical Jewish
Cemeteries in the Netherlands` [“Stichting tot onderhoud en
instandhouding van historische Joodse begraafplaatsen in Nederland”[ was
founded in 1963 on the recommendation of the National Administration for
Preservation of Monuments [Rijksdienst voor Monumentenzorg[ , The
Association looks i.a.
after the registration of the graves, organizes tours and lectures and
answers the many requests for information from inside the country and
abroad.In 1997 the David Henriques de Castrofund was founded, for the
acquisition of funds for the maintenace and the restauration of the
cemetery.
The town of Amsterdam, the State and the Provincial Authorities
contributed money for the restauration.
The restauration, started in 1999 and also sponsored by many private
donors, will take many years to complete.
UP
