I am an experienced guide and history buff who is fascinated by World War II, Hitler's propoganda of hate and its terrible consequences. I find that stories of the Nazi occupation, resistance and collaboration in Amsterdam form the most meaningful tour I can give, showing how the Holocaust took place even in Amsterdam, "The Jerusalem of the West" and the home of tolerance. I look forward to sharing this with you, Jon Feller
Why was Amsterdam the safest place for Jews to live for 350 years until WWII, when the Netherlands became the country with the highest percentage (75%) of Jews murdered in Western Europe? The best chance to survive was to go into hiding, just as Anne Frank and her family did in 1942.
We will use Anne Frank’s story and other stories to understand what it was like to live in a country occupied by a Nazi regime for both Jews and non-Jews,
We will also talk about the incredible exploits of the heroes and traitors during the war, both Jewish and Christian.
We will also discuss the kinds of lies used to create such virulent anti-Semitism and how lies continue to be used today to foment hate and war.
The tour will take place in the Jewish Quarter, the heart of Jewish culture in Amsterdam.
We will arrive at the Portuguese Synagogue two hours and 15 minutes after the beginning of the tour. The tour will be completely over within two and a half hours.
Since we are in Amsterdam, we will try to make even this tour about WWII as gezellig (friendly and convivial) as possible.
PLEASE PERSONALLY CONFIRM THAT YOU WILL ATTEND THE TOUR A DAY AHEAD. You should receive a reminder email 2 days before the tour. Tours in Amsterdam are limited to 15 persons, so an accurate count is necessary.
Downloading the Guruwalk app will make sure you find out if an opening becomes available and ensure that you don't miss any messages.
Note: This tour does not go to the Anne Frank House, which is a 25-minute walk from the end of our tour and has little to offer outside of the museum.
This tour is a terrific substitute or accompaniment for the Anne Frank House (annefrank.org). You can only buy tickets to the Anne Frank House through their website two months ahead of time. Read the link below and follow the directions closely!. Book the terrific introductory program in English if it is available. https://www.annefrank.org/en/museum/tickets/
The Van Gogh Museum and Rijksmuseum are usually sold out for at least a week or more. Reserve early for many museums.
If you will visit at least three Dutch museums (including the Anne Frank House and the Portuguese Synagogue), it can be a good idea to buy a Museum Card for 65 euros, good at 450 museums for one year. You can buy a temporary pass at the first museum you visit, use that pass five times, and receive a permanent pass within five days or less. If ordering tickets for the Anne Frank House or another museum, just mark that you have a Museum Card and don't pay anything online. Then buy the card at the first museum you visit. https://www.museum.nl/en/museumpass
I look forward to seeing you soon - Jon
To find the meeting point, type in Frenzi Zwanenburgwal in Google Maps or iMAPS. https://maps.app.goo.gl/h8EGwhPtg2rAF7X19. From Frenzi, cross the bridge and go to the Spinoza Monument, a statue of a man in a funny cape. We will meet there. Unfortunately, just entering Spinoza Monument will probably get you lost.
Spinoza, the child of Portuguese-Jewish immigrants born in Amsterdam in 1632, was the most radical of all Enlightenment philosophers and embodies the freedom of thought of Amsterdam in the 1600s.
This section of the Nieuwe Keizersgracht commemorates the Jews who lived here in WWII and were killed by the Nazi occupation.
This monument for 2021 designed by Daniel Liebeskind commemorates all 102,000 Jews living in the Netherlands during WWII who were killed as well as the approximately 250 Dutch gypsies who were also killed by the Nazis.
This theatre was first transformed by the Germans into a Jewish theatre in 1940 and then into a Jewish transit camp in July of 1942. The theatre and daycare centre/school across the street are now the new National Holocaust Museum.
This was the best place to hide during the Hunger Winter of 1944/45.
This is the Dutch monument to the victims of Auschwitz.
Find out how the Portuguese Synagogue survived WWII.
Free tours do not have a set price, instead, each person gives the guru at the end of the tour the amount that he or she considers appropriate (these usually range from €10 to $50 depending on satisfaction with the tour).
Find similar guruwalks in Amsterdam