Den Helder
The first Jews settled in Den Helder around 1790. In 1806, the
Jews of Den Helder purchased a small building in the Jodensteeg
(Jews' Alley) and converted it into a synagogue. The opening of the
North Holland Canal in 1824 led to an influx of Jews into Den
Helder. This led to the construction of an impressive new synagogue
on the Kanaalweg, consecrated in 1837. The Jewish cemetery in the
nearby dunes at Huisduinen (close to the present-day public
cemetery on the Duinweg/Kerkhoflaan) dates to 1827.
In 1837, donations from the
Rothschild family made possible the construction of a Jewish school
in Den Helder. The number of students attending the school peaked
during the mid-nineteenth century.
The synagogue council of Den Helder was made up of seven members.
They also functioned as a board for caring for the poor. Two
members of the council also served as fund raisers for Jewish
settlement in the Holy Land. Jewish voluntary groups in Den Helder
included a fellowship for Torah study, a burial society, a youth
association, a cultural society, and a women's society for the
upkeep of the interior of the synagogue.
A downturn in the economy of Den Helder caused by opening of the
North Sea Canal in 1876 led to a decline in the local Jewish
population. Notwithstanding, in 1928 a new synagogue was
constructed on the site of the old.
In 1934, Jewish organizations
opened a work camp for young Jewish refugees from Austria and
Germany at Nieuwesluis, in the midst of land newly reclaimed from
the sea at Wieringermeer. There, refugees studied agronomy and
related subjects, as well as practical aspects of farming to
prepare them for emigration to Palestine. A total of 685 young
people passed through the camp, of who 415 emigrated to Palestine
or elsewhere. The camp was closed by the Germans in 1941.
The German bombardment of Den Helder in 1940 caused more than
38,000 residents to flee the city, including many Jews. Those Jews
who remained behind were deported in 1942 first to Amsterdam and
then, via the detention camp at Westerbork, to Nazi death camps in
Eastern Europe. None returned. The synagogue, along with the rest
of Den Helder's harbor district was razed by the Germans during the
construction of fortifications.
In 1964 the Jewish community of Den Helder was merged into that of
the city of Alkmaar. Local authorities maintain the Jewish
cemetery. In 1986, a number of interesting gravestones were
restored. In 2002, the local Jewish society "Sufah" restored the
entire cemetery. In 1989, a monument was unveiled at the former
work camp at the Wieringermeer. A scroll contains the names of 200
former camp members murdered during the war.
A plaque in memory of the 256 Jews from Den helder ws
unveiled at the Jewish cemetery in April 2005.
Jewish population of Den Helder:
| 1809 | 72 |
| 1840 | 256 |
| 1869 | 470 |
| 1899 | 322 |
| 1930 | 196 |
| 1951 | 24 |
Collectie en mediatheek
Kidoesjbeker
1860 (ca.)
Berisch Samuel (ofwel Issachar Beer) Berenstein (1808-1893) was de zoon van
opperrabbijn Samuel Berish Berenstein. Hij werd opgeleid aan het Nederlands ...
Collectie > Museumstukken > 00128
meer treffers in Collectie > Museumstukken
Dossier
Dossiers (158) van de Commissie voor Oorlogsschade mbt 155 joodse
gemeentes (Amsterdam en mediene), 1945-1950.
Collectie > Documenten > 00005954
meer treffers in Collectie > Documenten
Klassenfoto
1900 (ca.)
Klassenfoto's (2) van joodse school in Den Helder, circa 1900.
Collectie > Fotos > 40000974
meer treffers in Collectie > Fotos
[Binnenland] : Amsterdam
Vermelding van benoemingen met betrekking tot de Ned. Isr. schoolbesturen.
Collectie > Joodse pers > 20031385
meer treffers in Collectie > Joodse pers
Esther van Praag: "Ik had in Den Helder een fijne jeugd"
1991
Esther van Praag: "Ik had in Den Helder een fijne jeugd".
Collectie > Literatuur > 11000740
meer treffers in Collectie > Literatuur
Frederik van Gelder : born in hiding = Im Versteck geboren
2006
Frederik van Gelder vertelt in deze documentaire zijn levensverhaal terwijl hij
plaatsen bezoekt die cruciaal waren in zijn leven. Zijn ouders werkten beide in ...
Collectie > Audiovisueel > 40001912
