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Burial Register Portuguese-Israelite Community 1639-1648

Comessado em Pesah do Anno de 5399 em Amsterdam

The burial register of the Portuguese-Israelite community Talmud Torah in Amsterdam 1639-1648

Introduction, text and index: Lydia Hagoort

With the cooperation of W.Chr. Pieterse

The transcription of the Burial Register of the Portuguese-Israelite congregation Talmud Torah in Amsterdam is the first book published either physically or digitally by the City Archives of Amsterdam. It appeared printed and bound in a limited edition, but one is nevertheless able to download the burial register free of charge (10,69 Mb).

The three Portuguese-Jewish congregations in Amsterdam, Bet Israel (House of Israel), Bet Jacob (House of Jacob) and Neve Salom (Residence of Peace) became united in 1639 into one congregation: Talmud Torah (Study of Law). The parnassim (managers) of the new congregation chose David Salom as administrator of the cemetery, the Beth Haim at Ouderkerk near the Amstel river.

David Salom, member of Bet Israel, used the register containing the list of moneys offered, which had now become superfluous, as burial register for the new congregation. The administrators who came after him continued this until 1648.

The solemn words appearing at the beginning of the burial register prove that the task of administrator was regarded to be especially honorable: para honra e servieo del Dio Bendito, in honor and in the service of the blessed God.

From 1614 to 1630 the Burial Register was kept up to date by the Bet Jacob congregation. This oldest register has been revised by Mrs. W.Chr. Pieterse Ph.D. and published as the Livro de Bet Haim do Kahal Kados de Bet Yahacob (Assen 1970). After this there exists a hiatus of nine years: the registers of this period have been lost.

The register of Talmud Torah of the period 1639-1648 has survived and its contents are now unlocked. After this there exists another hiatus in the continuity of the burial registers up to the year 1680. Because of this scarcity of data is this register a valuable source for genealogists and historians. The register, kept in Portuguese, has 165 pages in changing and sometimes difficult/awkward handwriting.

*See also the inventory of the Portuguese-Israelite community Talmud Torah