Your morning or afternoon in Amsterdam will start at the statue of the dockworker at the foot of the Portuguese synagogue. Set off in a relaxing pace to make sure you really get to see, feel and learn all about the Jewish history and population from Amsterdam. The first Jewish inhabitants arrived in Amsterdam in the 16th century. From the start they established themselves in the area around the Jodenbreestraat. In the course of World War II this area was made into a ghetto by the Germans. They raised a big fence around the area and many bridges remained open permanently, so the inhabitants could only enter and leave the area at certain points. During many raids the inhabitants were taken away. After the war, this once vibrant and lively area had turned into a sad, abandoned, and neglected area. Your guide will take you back to the times of the rise of the Jewish people in Amsterdam and the sad period of 1940-1945.