The Amsterdam Ketubah

The Jews were prominent in Amsterdam ever since they were expelled from France in 1325 and found refuge with the Dutch. The community grew to its golden years after the Expulsion from Spain led many Spanish Jews to find safety in Amsterdam as well. In the Jewish Netherlands, a unique intermingling of the Sephardi and Ashkenazim was born: intermarriage between these groups was common, and, due to the lack of Rabbis, the two often prayed together. Indeed, even in Dutch today, many Yiddish words are common — a testament to the Jewish influence in Holland throughout the centuries.

In the Amsterdam Ketubah, this unique mixture of the Sephardi and Ashkenazim in Amsterdam clearly reveals itself. The elaborate patterns of the Sephardi tradition combine with the reserve of the Ashkenazi tradition, to create a magnificent historical Ketubah.