Jerusalem on the Amstel: The Quest for Zion in the Dutch Republic
Lipika Pelham
Chair: Keren David
Lipika Pelham tells the extraordinary story of the Sephardi Jews of 17th century Amsterdam. The community, part of a ‘carnival of nations’ formed of French Huguenots, North African merchants, Spanish Moriscos and Iberian New Christians, was integral to the success of the Dutch Golden Age. They traded, wrote, staged plays and were painted by Rembrandt. They achieved unparalleled freedoms. While Jews elsewhere were confined to the ghetto, this community dared to nurture the ‘Hope of Israel’, sowing the seeds of Zionism. Lipika also searches for what remains today of Jerusalem on the Amstel.
In association with Jewish Renaissance
Lipika Pelham worked in the BBC newsroom for over a decade, and has reported from the Middle East, North Africa and Asia. Having made several award-winning documentary films, she now writes and produces independent programmes for the BBC. Lipika is the author of Jerusalem on the Amstel, also published by Hurst, and The Unlikely Settler.
Keren David has been a journalist since she was a teenager, and currently works at the Jewish Chronicle. She is the award-winning author of 11 Young Adult books. What We’re Scared Of is her 12th book. She lives in north London with her husband, two grown up children and two cats.
