The Portuguese Synagogue, or Snoge, was the largest Sephardi synagogue in the world when it was built, between 1671 and 1675. The fact that Amsterdam's Sephardim were permitted to erect this grand structure attests to the relative freedom of Jews in this part of Western Europe, at a time when Jews elsewhere were confined to ghettos and subject to restrictions. Through the centuries, foreign tourists have been amazed by the beauty and scale of the complex. This volume examines the many aspects of this glorious synagogue, which has been preserved almost perfectly in its seventeenth-century state. Contents: The Portuguese Jewish Community in Amsterdam Elias Bouman (1635-1686), The Architect of the Snoge The Snoge: A Jewish Building in a Dutch Architectural Style Construction and Maintenance (1671-2000) Restoring the Past, Creating Room for the Future The Festive Inauguration of the Esnoga in 1675 The Esnoga and the Snogeiros: The Interior Function of the Synagogue and its Annexes The Ceremonial Art Treasures of the Esnoga AUTHOR: Dr. Pieter Vlaardingerbroek (1970) is an architectural historian at the Office of Monuments and Archaeology, Amsterdam. SELLING POINTS: ?Showcases this monumental synagogue, with its stunning interior, unique in Europe and a shining example for Jewish communities all over the world 127 colour and 61 b/w illustrations
