Not only the Jews but Dutch society at large was caught up in a cultural maelstrom between 1880 and 1940. In failing to form a separate pillar in a period when various population groups were doing just that, the Jews were certainly unlike contemporary Catholics or Protestants. In fact, the Jews were not trying to gain entrance in a pre-existing culture but were involved with non-Jews in constructing a new culture. The complexity of Dutch Jewish history once again becomes evident if not new.

Judith Frishman is professor in the Faculty of Catholic Theology of Tilburg University (the Netherlands). Hetty Berg is curator and museum affairs manager of the Jewish Historical Museum, Amsterdam (the Netherlands).