1726

CONSECRATION OF THE SEPHARDIC SYNAGOGUE

Towards the end of the 17th century several rich Portuguese families moved from Amsterdam to Den Haag. They came to belong to the elite of Den Haag society. Still they remained a group apart due to their mediterranean looks, culture and religion. Early in the 17th century their community counted several ‘house synagogues’, but as their membership started to grow, a desire for a larger ‘real’ synagogue developed. They decided to build a prestigeous synagogue on the Princessegracht. This monumental synagogue in Louis XIV style was consecrated in 1726. Until the Second World War it was continuously used by the Portuguese Jewish community and today it is the synagogue of the LJG, the Liberal Jewish community here.