In the synagogue are maps showing the places of origin in the Netherlands of the fine parochot, the curtains screening the cabinet holding the Torah scrolls. The upstairs room exhibits maps and atlases of the Jewish Diaspora, for instance a plan of Venice with its Jewish quarter (1838), an Ottoman plan of Salonika with 32 synagogues (1903), a manuscript map of the Warsaw ghetto (end of 1940) and a recent map of Jewish New York. In addition some exceptional maps of Israel/Palestine from the last two centuries can be seen.

This presentation of 30 maps from the Steegh/Teunissen private collection (almost 7000 maps and 1000 atlases and travel guides) was one of the ten exhibitions during the Heritage Days in Leiden, with the theme ”Leiden on the Map”. Preparations are in hand to expand the presentation to 50 maps by the beginning of 2011. Please send me a message if you know of other original maps of relevance to Jewish history in the last centuries.

The exhibition in the Leiden synagogue and this internet presentation were made possible by the help of: Jos Agasi, Joop Gijsman, Leo GrÁ¤per, Firdaus Isfaraini, Leo Levie, Berta Levie - Jungman, Nelleke Nicolai, Janet van der Mark - Mackenzie, Ingrid Moerman, Erik Polak, Malka Polak - Cohen, Monique Roscher, John Steegh, Willem van Traa, Ruben Verhasselt, Remco Vermeulen.
 

» Part 1: Parochot

» Part 2: Diaspora

» Part 3: Israel/Palestine