Amsterdam again

My dear friends

I wanted to share with you an experience I had in the Jewish Museum and some reflections on it. Lies and I went together. We had both seen Jewish artefacts, Torah scrolls, Menorahs etc., so we concentrated on a stunning art exhibition by two Jewish artists in the 1920's and 30's. Their names are Else Berg and Samuel Schwartz, known as 'Moomie.' Else painted figures, including a self portrait, while Moomie painted landscape and stil life. They went to many countries to paint and the pictures are ravishing, full of bright colours. Lies's favourite painting by Moomie was of a monastery somewhere in Italy, high up on a hill, the aspect of which fascinated the artist apparently.

They were associated with a Dutch school of painting and gathered somewhere with their friends outside Amsterdam. When the Nazis came they were hidden,presumably by their non-Jewish friends but for reasons which were 'unclear' (according to the information in the Jewish Musuem) they returned to Amsterdam in the early 1940's, were immediately rounded up with many other Jews and sent to Westerbork, where they were deported to Auschwitz and immediately sent to the gas chambers.Most ot the paintings were hidden, others confiscated by the Nazis and returned after the war.

Sometime I will tell you about Etty Hillesum, a twenty seven year old Dutch woman who was a mystic and felt that what was happening to the Jews was a part of history.She had a sense of their collective destiny-was this perhaps the reason that Else Berg and Moomie returned to Amsterdam? I know that this may sound controversial, but if you take it in the context of Death and Resurrection this may give us some meaning.  It says in John's Gospel that 'the darkness can never overpower, or even comprehend the Light.'

Hannah Senesh, a young Hungarian woman who flew a plane over Germany and was captured by the Nazis, said that'The souls of those who have gone before us light up the way for the rest of mankind.'

Shalom from
Gila

Paintings in Amsterdam

My dear Friends

The Rijksmuseum is in the middle of being renovated but you can see most of the best paintings, especially 'The Night Watch.' This painting by Rembrandt is full of burnished reds and golds. When it was originally hung, it was on a very long wall, which gave it much more depth-today it was in a small room, but the colours still stood out.

Virtually next to it are the Vermeers, which of course are much more homely. Vermeer's colours are also bold, and he adds yellows and blues, which are intimate and attractive. I bought a card for a friend with his painting of 'The girl with the pearl earring' (which has been made into a film). but I couldn't see it actually in the gallery. Despite the smallness of the current space in the gallery, you could still appreciate the stunning beauty of the paintings.

Dazzled by all this, Liesbeth and i decided to treat ourselves and go to the art nouveau cafe called the American. It was very near the museum and you have to dodge several fountains in front of the building. We sat in the corner on two armchairs and enjoyed a nice lunch with a glass of wine. At the next table ws a very nice retired Swedish couple-they had heard me telling the waiter that my family was Scottish, Swedish, Russian and Polish. and, of course Jewish.My Swedish grandmother came from Karlstadt, in the middle of the country and on the lake. this nice couple came from near Malmo, where my mother used to go for holidays and which is across the 'Sound' from Copenhagen.

I have to admit that i feel rather tired after all the walking and sightseeing-I leave tomorrow-but it has been a wonderful opportunity to catch up with Chava and Liesbeth, and meet all their children at last.

I am left with one impression which I want to share with you, but tomorrow is my last day and I will wait until returning to england. In the short term, I look forward to the final breakfast and one more conversation with the nice man from Vancouver (originally turkish) who I met a couple of days ago in the hostel dining room.

A bit too early to give you the following greeting, but here goes-

Wel te Ruste-Sleep well.

Shalom from Gila

News from amsterdam

My dear Friends

What a fascinating trip it has been so far! I am staying in the German Seaman's Mission, which used to be a hostel for sailors and is now for everyone. I have not seen a sailor so far, but Stefan, the guy on reception, goes out to the big boats and takes the sailors the things that they need.

The little breakast room faces a lovely canal, lit up at night, which houses some quite big barges. I think people live on them, but, like the sailors, i have not seen anyone. but it is the greatest pleasure to walk alongside the canals and gaze into the water-it gives a feeling of peace.

I am living very near Rembrandt square and there is a fine statue of him in the middle. tomorrow my friend lies and i will go to the museum with his paintings, but yesterday I saw the outside of the house where he spent most of his life. and presumably did his paintings. Not sure about that, because the paintings are enormous and would have never fitted in the narrow Dautch houses.

Speaking of which, I took an hour long boat trip on the water yesterday.I say 'water' because although most of the journey was along the canals, we did go as far as the beginning of the North Sea, where the water is wide and there are some big boats-very exciting!

On the tour we had the history of amsterdam, cruised along the different neighbourhoods and saw some very elegant houses, as well seeing some buskers with guitars taking a rest on a bench by the canal. they have put up smass railings to prevent cars faling into the water, but at least one car a week still tips into the canal!

Catch you again soon

Shalom from Gila

Run up to Amsterdam

My dear Friends
This will be the last blog before my trip to Amsterdam-I leave on Saturday. Chava and Liesbeth have made a detailed plan for me, apparently,with one or two gaps when i will be on my own. I have very little sense of direction, (once being lost in the middle of Tel Aviv for about three hours), but they have assured me they will acquaint me with the trams, as they know i don't enjoy walking too far either!

But isn't any holiday an adventure? You never quite know what will happen, but i am in good hands.I long to go to the Ryksmuseum and see the Rembrandts-I remember the first time I was gasping at the size of them, and oh, the colours, those deep reds and burnished golds of 'The Night Watch.' I have never been to the Van Gogh museum, but was very struck by the Jewish Museum. From the window you see a canal, and just behind a canal an old building, which turned out to be the Old Synagogue, where Chava got married.

Anyway, I will be in touch again in about two weeks, when we will be really into Eastertide. Between Easter sunday, Ascension and Pentecost we have seven weeks, when Jesus appeared to His disciples in Galilee. In parallel, the Jewish people celebrate passover and then 7 weeks until Shavuot, the giving of the Torah on Mount sinai.

Be well and joyful
Shalom from Gila