Vicky Marin, president of L.A. Voz student association, scratches her head and wonders: ‘Are students even aware that Enschede has the most beautiful Synagogue in the Netherlands, actually the most beautiful one in most parts of Europe?’
As the date creeps closer, the President and many others are looking forward to the special guided tour and Duo La Rosa concert. The performance, described as ‘warm-blooded,’ promises to offer listeners the opportunity to hear original compositions and old ‘canciones’ from Andalusia, in the tradition and style of Roma-gypsy and Sephardic songs.
In cooperation with the Synagogue Foundation in Enschede, the event represents the first Spanish-speaking tour of the building ever to take place in its more than eighty-year history.
The building has had to survive harsh economic times and underwent a full-scale restoration and re-opened in 2004. ‘The Secret Service intelligence agency of the German Nazi Party made prison cells in the Synagogue and would store potatoes in the most holy parts which were the coolest parts of the building,’ says Esly van Dam, who has a background as a religious scientist and organizes cultural activities for the foundation. The Jewish community numbered more than 1300 members but after the Second World War, no more than five hundred survived.
In retrospect, the presence of German soldiers in the building actually saved it from being bombed during the Second World War. The adjacent primary school, Prinseschool, served as a military hospital during the war. ‘Every year, the students in the last class pay homage by laying wreaths to honor all the people who lost their lives during the war.’
The general public can register for the event with the Synagogue Foundation Enschedeby sending an e-mail to [email protected] or contact Esly van Dam, 053 43 24 507.Discount tickets are available to the first twenty L.A. Voz members at the door and cost €2.50. Otherwise, advanced tickets cost €12.50 or €15 at the door. Tickets to attend only the concert cost €10. Men are asked to cover their heads during the tour. Kippahs, which are also referred to in Yiddish as a yarmulke, are available or visitors can also use their own cap or hat.
Robbin Engels
Famous architect Karel P.C. de Bazel from Asterdam designed and gave the building its oriental flair with rounded domes and traditional Dutch brickwork. The English and Spanish tours at the Synagogue begin at 12pm, 14 Prinssestraat, Enschede, followed by a tour in Dutch.
Duo La Rosa concert starts at 1:30pm in the Synagogue’s great shul.
