What Was the Synagogue? Sacred Space and the Sephardic Congregation in Amsterdam, 1600-1675

This thesis argues that the Portuguese Synagogue of Amsterdam functioned as the central mechanism through which Sephardic leadership constructed communal identity and external legibility, transforming a diasporic minority into a unified, self-regulated congregation positioned for permanent settlement in the Dutch Republic between 1600–1675. Existing scholarship oversimplifies internal Jewish consolidation and its inseparable relationship to outward-facing relations with Dutch authorities as separate processes. However, this thesis argues that these communal issues converged within the synagogue itself. The Esnoga served simultaneously as a space of religious consolidation, intra-communal order, and meticulously crafted public representation, enabling Sephardic leaders to unify the formerly diasporic congregation while presenting an ordered and credible image to Dutch Christians. Drawing on synagogue regulations, rabbinic sermons and disputes, and the material culture of the 1675 consecration, this thesis demonstrates that the synagogue was not merely an internal or isolated symbol of Jewish life, but rather an active instrument of communal formation and external legitimization. By reconsidering the multi-faceted nature and function of Amsterdam's Sephardic synagogue, this thesis presents a new understanding of sacred spaces within interfaith communities as ongoing sites of early modern transformation rather than a culmination of tolerance.