The beginning | The war years | Rebirth | Wanderings | Growth
The 'Snoge': a dream | A dream come true | The 'new' synagogue
The new century

History of the liberal jewish community

The history of the LJG is a story of a wandering community. While the congregation was established in the 1930s it was not until 1962 that it found a permanent home and only in 1970 did it acquire its own synagogue. The synagogue is now the centre of many activities.

The beginning

The Dutch Liberal Jewish movement was born in The Hague in 1930, the year in which Mr. L. Levisson, the father of Mr. R.A. Levisson, was introduced to this form of Judaism in London. Liberal Judaism had been unknown in the Netherlands until then.

The war years

Before the Second World War the Hague congregation consisted of a small group of people who met in the 'Van Dijkzaal' a modest meeting hall in the Hoge Nieuwstraat. As of 1940 this was no longer possible and the community began its wanderings. The last service in the war years was the mincha service on Yom Kippur and it was held on the second floor a piano shop on the Plaats in the centre of The Hague. Only a handful of congregants survived the war.

Rebirth

In the 1950s there were calls to re-establish the congregation. Mr. R.A. Levisson played an important role in the process. Mr. Theodoor Metz was the first post-war president. The first service was held at Hannukah in 1959 above Diligentia, a theatre on the Lange Voorhout. At the time there was no rabbi. Mr. Chaim Storosum was the chazzan and he remained in service for almost 30 years until his retirement in 1988.

Wanderings

In the early years the congregation held services in various places: a number of times in a small hall on the De Ruyterstraat and subsequently in Pulchri Studio on the Lange Voorhout. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services were held twice in the premises of the Venduhuis auctioneers in the Nobelstraat. The seder was once held in Boschlust, at the time a well-known restaurant in Bezuidenhout.

Growth

The fact that it did not have its own synagogue impeded the growth of the congregation. Fortunately this situation was to change in 1962 when the LJG acquired the premises at Statelaan 12. The ground floor was transformed into a synagogue and all manner of activities took place in the rooms upstairs. There was cheder for the children, celebrations took place and of course the jumble sales for which the LJG became renowned. While initially the congregation was delighted with its new home, its limitations soon became apparent. When in the mid-60s the former Portuguese Synagogue on the Jan Evertstraat came up for sale the idea of moving once again was born.

The 'Snoge': a dream

Unfortunately it was not possible to buy the old synagogue. Property magnate, Zwolsman, was asking more for the buildings than the congregation could possibly pay. However, the municipality of The Hague agreed with Mr. Zwolsman that the congregation could rent the synagogue for the High Holidays and possibly on other occasions for the symbolic sum of one guilder. The synagogue has been empty for many years, but it was still in reasonably good condition. After a thorough cleaning the first service was held there in 1968, with Rabbi  Jacob Soetendorp officiating. During the service he inaugurated his son, Awraham Soetendorp as rabbi of the congregation. This was to be a turning point in the history of the LJG The Hague.

A dream come true

It turned out to be very impractical to rent the synagogue every time it was needed. Every time a service was held all the Sifrei Torah, the prayer books, glassware and even a small electric organ had to be moved from the Stadhouderslaan and back again. The building on the Prinsessegracht was also unsuitable. It was in very poor condition as it had been empty since 1943. There was nowhere for the Rabbi and the chazzan to don their robes, there was no heating and only one toilet, the workings of which left much to be desired.

In the mid 1970s the treasurer, Mr. M. Wolf began a campaign to raise money to buy the synagogue. It was ultimately German war reparations that made it possible.

The 'new' synagogue

On Friday evening 3 September 1976 the new synagogue was inaugurated by the congregation and three days later it was officially opened in the presence of Her Majesty Queen Juliana and a number of cabinet ministers. The congregation thrived and in the 1980s and 1990s the Rabbi and the board, particularly under the presidency of Henry Hopp, strengthened the organisational, social and financial fabric of the community. A caretaker was taken on and a wide range of committees and activities set up: the cultural committee, the congregation’s quarterly, Hamishpachah, the women’s group, the Forum, the education committee, the social care committee, the roof committee which raised funds for the second restoration of the building, Beth Hachaim (the foundation responsible for the cemetery in Rijswijk) and a foundation for donations and legacies.

The new century

For many years the congregation retained its typically Hague character. Today we see developments that indicate that in the not too distant future it will be more international as its members now comprise not only Dutch Jews but also Israelis, Eastern Europeans and Jews from other countries such as the United States and South Africa. The congregation must be a place where everyone can feel at home.

Since 2004 membership of the LJG has been 324 units, making it the second largest liberal congregation in the Netherlands. Over 60 children attend the afternoon Hebrew lessons.

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