Archief van de Nederlands-Portugees-Israëlitische gemeente te 's-Gravenhage

Item

Country

NL

Name of institution (English)

The Hague City Archives

Name of institution (official language of the state)

Language of name of institution

dut

Contact information: postal address

Spui 70, 2511 BT The Hague

Contact information: phone number

0031 703537013

Contact information: web address

Contact information: email

haagsgemeentearchief@denhaag.nl

Reference number

0130-01

Type of reference number

Archival reference number

Title (English)

Archives of the Dutch-Portuguese Jewish Congregation in The Hague

Title (official language of the state)

Archief van de Nederlands-Portugees-Israëlitische gemeente te 's-Gravenhage

Language of title

dut

Creator / accumulator

Nederlands-Portugees-Israëlitische gemeente te 's-Gravenhage (Portuguese Jewish Congregation of the Hague)

Date(s)

1707/1941

Language(s)

dut

Extent

8 linear metres (4,783 units)

Type of material

Textual Material

Scope and content

The Nederlands-Portugees-Israëlitische gemeente fonds comprises documentation concerning the Portuguese Jewish congregations Beth Jahacob and Honen Dal (or Honendal) in the Hague. The fonds is divided into two sub-fonds corresponding to each congregation and aggregating documentation related to internal affairs, financial management, and rites.
The Gemeente Beth Jahacob sub-fonds contains three series: Reglementen, resoluties enz. (Regulations, resolutions, etc.), 1709-1743; Grootboek (Ledger), 1708-1720; and Registers houdende aantekening van verschillende geldofferingen (Records of various money offerings), 1712-1717, 1721-1724. Digital copies of these documents are available online.
The Gemente Honendal sub-fonds is composed of seven series: Stukken van algemene aard (General documents, containing regulations, ordinances, resolutions; meeting minutes; letter books); Financiën en administratie (Finance and administration, containing ledgers, records on offerings and contributions, records relating to the administration of funds and legacies, etc.); De synagoge, haar dienaars en instellingen (The synagogue, its servants and organisations, containing records related to the congregation's brotherhoods, schools and other societies; lists of officers; appointments and elections; liturgical and ritual directions); Personalia (Personal records, containing vital records, circumcision and ketubot registers and various documents related to members of the congregation, including wills and testaments); Begrafenissen (Funerals, comprising documents related to burials); Processen (Processes, containing lawsuits, bailiffs and litigations involving members of the community); and Varia (Miscellaneous).
This sub-fonds comprises documentation of both the original Congregation Honen Dal and that with the same name that resulted from the merging of the Honen Dal and the Beth Jahacob congregations in 1743. Some highlights of this fonds are the following:
5: Regulations drawn up at the merger of the congregations Honendal and Beth Jahacob, 1743. Digital copies are available online.
45-47: Other documents related to the merger of the two congregations, 1743. Digital copies are available online.
44a and 44b: Journal regarding the construction of the Honendal synagogue on the Prinsessegracht by Daniel de Fonseca; with drawings, 1707-1743.
177: Benjamin Teixeira Fund, 1744-1856. Digital copies are available online.
182: Documents concerning the claims of the Portuguese Jewish congregation in view of the death of H.J. van A. Israel Suasso (J. van J. Lopes Suasso) and the widow of J.I. Suasso, 1794-1856.
263: Drawings of the synagogue façade at Prinsessegracht 25, 18th century.
265: Plan of the Jewish cemetery on Scheveningseweg, 1774.
289: Marriage contracts, ca. 1710. Digital copies are available online.
291-324: Documents related to members of the congregation, including the Belinfante (292-293), the Nunes Henriquez (297), the Pimentel (304), the Saruco (307-310), the Vaz Nunes (314-315); and the Teixeira (322-323) families; Moses Espinoza (295); David Henriquez (296); Manuel Lopes Suasso and David Azulay (303); David Pinedo da Silva (305, digital copy), Jacob Henriques and Sara Lopes d'Almeyda (318), Moses de Jacob de Pinto (321), Benjamin and Ribca Teixeira (322, digital copy), and Lea Teixeira de Matthos (324).
338: Licenses to bake matzos, 1780-1847.
362: Permits and decisions of the Velhos (Elders), 1787-1799.

Archival history

The Archief van de Nederlands-Portugees-Israëlitische gemeente te 's-Gravenhage is part of The Hague City Archives, whose core collection is composed of the municipal fonds, with documentation that dates back to the Middle Ages. In the 19th century, the cultural and historical value of the archive became increasingly important. Thus, in 1884, a municipal archivist was appointed for the first time. The collections of The Hague City Archives expanded significantly after that year through the transfer of archives from municipal services and the acquisition of private archives, photographs, prints and drawings, audiovisual registrations, books, posters, and other materials.
In 1969, A.M.J. de Haan produced copies of the descriptions of the records of the Portuguese Jewish congregation archive. In 1986, a new inventory was drawn up, containing translations of Portuguese terms and converting the Jewish calendar dates into the Christian calendar.
Sources:

Administrative / Biographical history

In the last quarter of the 17th century, some Portuguese Jews moved from Amsterdam to the Hague with the aim of being closer to the seat of government. By the end of the century, two Portuguese Jewish congregations were founded in The Hague. In the beginning, they were not able to find a permanent location for their cult, but, in the early 18th century, the circumstances changed. Congregation Beth Jacob consecrated its synagogue on the Korte Voorhout in 1707. Later, in 1726, Congregation Honen Dal also opened a synagogue on the Princessegracht. In 1743, both congregations merged and formed the Kahal Kados Honen Dal. The united congregation used the Princessegracht synagogue.
The 18th century was a period of growth for both the Sephardic and Ashkenazic communities in the Hague. The Portuguese Jews kept control of local Jewish institutions, but the growing number of Ashkenazim in the city created some tensions between the two groups. The evolution of both communities in the 18th century was interrupted at the end of the century, following the economic decline of the city, which culminated with the annexation by France.
In 1809, the Jewish community of the Hague was composed of about 2,400 individuals. In 1939, the number grew to 17,400 members, comprising only 300 Sephardim and 2,000 refugees from Germany. The Holocaust period had severe consequences for the Jewish community. In the summer of 1942, the deportations began, and most of the community was forced to leave the city. In 1945, there were only 1,283 Jews living in the Hague.
Sources:

Access points: locations

Access points: corporate bodies

Access points: subject terms

Access points: document types

System of arrangement

The fonds is divided in two sub-fonds, concerning each of the congregations (Gemeente Honendal and Gemeente Beth Jahacob). Internally, the documentation is organised according to types of documents. The series are chronologically organised.

Access, restrictions

Links to finding aids

Author of the description

Joana Rodrigues and Kevin Soares, 2022

Bibliography

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Title Alternate label Class
Portugees-Israëlietische gemeente Scope and content
is part (item) of
Title Alternate label Class
Haags Gemeentearchief Collections (official language of the state)