JEWISH COMMUNITY OF ANTWERP

The 'Jewish community of Antwerp' consists of around 18,000 Orthodox Jews, concentrated in the area next to the diamond district. This area is just a few minutes walking distance from the Antwerp Central train station. This area is also known as "Jewish Antwerp" (). After New York City, London, Bnei Brak and Jerusalem, Antwerp is one of the larger communities of Haredi Jews in the world. Rabbi Chaim Kreiswirth, who died in 2003, was the Chief Rabbi of the city for many years.
The community is organized along the lines of two associations: these are the ''Machsike Hadas'', which represents the Haredi community and the ''Shomrei Hadas'', which is primarily oriented towards the Modern Orthodox community. An essential difference between these two organizations is apparent in the Shomrei Hadas' strong support of Israel, as well as its alignment with religious Zionist doctrine.

Contents

Hasidic Jews

Non-Hasidic Jews

Schools

Demographics

See also

External links

Hasidic Jews

Hasidic Jews form the majority of the Jews in Antwerp. Hasidic movements in Antwerp include:

★ Alexander

★ Berditchev

★ Belz (Belz, Machnovke)

★ Bobov

★ Chortkov

★ Ger

★ Lubavitch

★ Pshevorsk

★ Satmar

★ Shotz

★ Skver

★ Sanz (Sanz-Shinova, Sanz-Zmigrod, Sanz-Klausenberg)

★ Vizhnitz (Vizhnitz Bnei Brak, Vizhnitz New York)
The Pshevorsk movement is centered in Antwerp. The Pshevorsker Rebbe, Rabbi Leibish Leiser, lives in Antwerp, as did his predecessors. Pshevorsker Hasidim live mainly in Antwerp, London, and Manchester, and on Jewish holidays many come to Antwerp. Other rebbes in Antwerp are the Shotzer Rebbe and the Zhmigrider Rebbe.

Non-Hasidic Jews

There is also a small non-Hasidic, Lithuanian Jewish community. Furthermore there are organisations of Georgian Jews, a Sephardic synagogue, secular Jewish organizations, a Progressive Jewish community and many youth groups.

Schools

A number of Jewish schools are found all over the Jewish district (95% of the Jewish children of Antwerp receive a Jewish education). The three main Jewish schools in Antwerp are the Yesode Hatora - Beth Jacob of the Machsike Hadas, and the Yavne and Tachkemoni schools of the Shomre Hadas.
The Yesode Hatora - Beth Jacob population is composed primarily of students from Hasidic, chareidi and Orthodox backgrounds. It provides instruction in religious as well as secular studies: students follow a dual curriculum starting in pre-school/kindergarten, through primary school and secondary school. Established in 1903, it is the oldest of Antwerp's Jewish schools and has the highest population of Jewish students. Students are educated in accordance with the values of Orthodox Judaism and fulfill the educational requirements of the Belgian Ministry of Education. The student population is separated by gender, male students attend Yesode Hatora and female students attend Beth Jacob. In accordance with the religious ideology that imposes limitations on interactions with secular society, the school does not maintain an advising system for university and discourages the pursuit of secular higher education.
The Yavne school is composed primarily of students from Orthodox and Modern Orthodox backgrounds. An estimated 95% of the student body are active members of the local chapter of the Bne Akiva, the largest youth movement of religious Zionists in the world. Similar to the Yesode Hatora - Beth Jacob, the Yavne school follows a dual curriculum composed of religious and secular studies. Students are educated in accordance with the values of religious Zionism and fulfill the educational requirements of the Belgian Ministry of Education. The school is separated by gender: male students attend the Yeshiva Tichonit and female students attend the Ulpena Lebanot. The Yavne school is known for its particularly high rate of immigration to Israel; an estimated 98% of students typically make aliya (immigrate to Israel) within one year of graduation from secondary school.
The Tachkemoni school attracts primarily students from secular Jewish backgrounds. Its dual curriculum is heavily weighted towards secular studies, although it does provide instruction in Jewish subjects. The school is entirely co-educational, male and female students attend classes together. The Tachkemoni school is the most rigorous in terms of secular instruction, and most graduates pursue university studies after completing secondary school.
In addition there are several kollelim, where married men can continue their studies after marriage. The famed haredi Etz Chaim Yeshiva, where hundreds of young men from around the world study, is now located in the Wilrijk district, having previously been in Heide and then Kapellen. The Jewish community of Antwerp has numerous distinguished scholars among its ranks. A significant portion of the observant community members are deeply committed to the study of Talmud, as well as extensive commentaries on Jewish Law.
Many synagogues, schools, charities and social groups care for the environment. Most Jews living in Antwerp communicate in a variety of languages: Yiddish, French, Hebrew, English and German are all widely spoken amongst members of the community. The Jewish community of Antwerp didn't adopt the local language (Dutch) as the common spoken language. Instead they opted to use French as until WW II that language was widely used for commerce, even in Flanders.

Demographics

The Jewish Community in Antwerp has maintained a strong and active presence in the local diamond trade. After World War II, Belgian Jewish survivors as well as others from Eastern Europe settled in Antwerp and built up an influential and highly successful stake in the diamond business. Whether through established diamond trading offices, cutting and polishing factories, or as diamond brokers, Antwerp's Jews established themselves as capable businessmen and -women.
Over the course of the past decade, however, much of the diamond trade has been taken over by the Indian community. With easy access to manufacturing centers in India, where production costs are significantly cheaper, the Jewish community has lost some of its influence as far as the diamond trade is concerned. However, the diamond business remains a common profession shared by most of the members of the Jewish community.
Thus the future of Antwerp's Jewish community is uncertain, with a record amount of Jews opting for residence in Israel, and to a lesser extent in the United States and the United Kingdom.

See also

★ Diamonds as an investment

★ Pshevorsk – Hasidic Jewish movement based in Antwerp

★ History of the Jews in Belgium

External links

★ Article from the Database of Jewish Communities

★ Virtual Jewish History Tour of Belgium

★ Expatica - Jewish Antwerp

★ amyisrael.com - Antwerpen

★ Pictures of the The Bouweesterstraat synagogue