MetaFilter posts tagged with amsterdam and dutch

The Shuls with Sandy Floors

zarq — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 10:48:04 -0800

There are only five functioning Jewish synagogues with sand floors in the world, and four of them are in the Caribbean. How has the tradition been maintained for hundreds of years? The Five Shaare Shalom Synagogue (Kingston, Jamaica) - Wikipedia. - Article: Becoming Jewish in Jamaica. "The first ordained rabbi in 40 years to serve the Shaare Shalom Synagogue of Kingston, Jamaica, has attracted to his conversion classes candidates who include descendants of its once much larger and thriving population." - Article: Jamaica's New Tourism Spiel: Beaches and Reggae and Jews Beracha Veshalom Vegmiluth Hasidim Synagogue (St. Thomas, Virgin Islands) - Panoramic Photos. - Photo of the sand floor Mikve Israel-Emanuel Synagogue (Curacao, Netherlands Antilles) - Photos. (Also known as the Snoa, it is the oldest synagogue in continuous use in the Western Hemisphere, founded in 1651.) Neve Shalom (Paramaribo, Republic of Suriname) - Photos. - Wikipedia. Portuguese Synagogue Also known as the Esnoga. (Amsterdam, The Netherlands) - Wikipedia. - Panoramic Photos. - Video embedded here. Why Sand? A synagogue drawn in the sand: The custom may have originated in Amsterdam, where sand was used to dry mud on people's shoes. The Esnoga synagogue was near the edge of town, where most of the streets were unpaved and, thanks to the weather, often muddy. It was, therefore, practical to line the floor in the synagogue with sand to keep it tidy. There are a number of churches and taverns in the Netherlands dating to the 17th century that likewise have sand floors.
Synagogues in the Sand: There are two theories about the origins of the synagogue’s sand floor. One is that it symbolizes the desert through which Moses and the children of Israel wandered for 40 years. The other theory, considered by experts the more likely explanation, is that the floor harkens back to when Spanish Jews had to practice their religion in secret, meeting in cellars to pray.
More: A Journey to Jewish Curaçao. And a pdf article from Frommer's: Sanctuaries in the Sand

Ecstatic surface design

infini — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 01:33:30 -0800

Pinar & Viola are two Dutch post-internet artists whose work explores new totalitarian impulses and the decadence of global culture through what they call "ecstatic surface design". Pinar Demirdag and Viola Renate’s latest work takes inspiration from popular culture to lambast the absurdity of contemporary society using beach towels. They also cover Turkey's anti-evolutionist showgirls and interpret Frieze through Instagram. NSFW&Sanity warning before... Our website refers to little gif animations, kittens, lolcats, ‘Welcome to my homepage’, glitter, all the little decorations that make our daily lives more beautiful and joyful.

100

unSane — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 06:25:16 -0800

100 (from 0 to 100 years in 150 seconds)

Going Dutch

goodnewsfortheinsane — Mon, 04 May 2009 07:20:34 -0800

[E]ven if you are unemployed you still receive a base amount of [vacation money] from the government, the reasoning being that if you can’t go on vacation, you’ll get depressed and despondent and you’ll never get a job.
[...]
But does the cartoon image of [the Dutch system] — encapsulated in the dread slur "socialism," which is being lobbed in American political circles like a bomb — match reality? Is there, maybe, a significant upside that is worth exploring? [...] I think it’s worth pondering how the best bits might fit.

After a year and a half of living in the Netherlands, American writer Russell Shorto compares the Dutch "welfare state" to the tax, health care and social security systems of the United States.