Progressive Jewish Community of Amsterdam-Beit Ha’Chidush
The community was founded in 1995 by Jews with secular and religious backgrounds who wanted to create a welcoming, inspiring and renewed Jewish congregation. Since 1997 Beit Ha’Chidush uses the atmospheric Uilenburger Synagogue (1766) in the former Jewish quarter of Amsterdam. The Uilenburger Shul along with the Portuguese Synagogue is the only historic Amsterdam synagogue still in use in the city center. Since 2005 we have our own rabbi.
The community draws from traditional and modern Jewish sources. Our inspiration is found in the Torah, the Talmud and other classical sources as well as in today’s renewal thinkers and groups in Europe, Israel and the United States, including the Reconstructionists, Jewish Renewal, Liberal Judaism in Britain and in Humanistic Judaism. Since its establishment in 1995 Beit Ha’Chidush has been supported by many progressive rabbis in Europe and the United States. It is an associate member of Liberal Judaism and cooperates with the Dutch Union for Progressive Judaism.