Show that you care about Beth Haim The historic Portuguese-Israelite cemetery in Ouderkerk aan de Amstel is in a deplorable condition. The once beautiful Beth Haim is in danger of being completely lost. Turn the tide of this decay. It is still possible. Please contribute to its maintenance. In Ouderkerk aan de Amstel, Beth Haim is sinking into the water at an ever increasing rate. Valuable marble tombs are being swallowed by the marshy ground. Rare plants, more than three hundred and eighty years old, are choking in the marsh. The last trees are drowning where they stand. The House of Life Four hundred years ago, Amsterdam nurtured a growing Portuguese Jewish community within its city walls. Both the city and the community were on the threshold of their Golden Century. Where there is life, there are burials. In 1614, the Portuguese Jewish community bought a small piece of land for this purpose at the confluence of the Bullewijk and the Amstel. It was called "Beth Haim," the house of life. In Beth Haim, the "Portuguese" Jews committed more than twenty-seven thousand of their loved ones to the earth. Rich and poor, famous and destitute, they were all buried together. Ever since, they have ensured that the memories were kept intact. For almost three and a half centuries, Beth Haim was maintained, planted, cared for, and nurtured through contributions from the community. Then the Second World War wrought its destruction. Only a few families of this once thriving Portuguese Jewish community in Amsterdam have survived. The house of life has become the land of silence. The House of Recovery In order to save the Portuguese Jewish cemetery in Ouderkerk ann de Amstel from decay, thorough drainage is required. New trees will have to be planted. An immense cultural treasure -- hundreds of rare marble tombs -- is crying out for restoration. Daily maintenance requires a professional and more intensive approach. Additionally, there is the centuries-old archive which is still consulted by Jews throughout the world who are searching for lost relatives. This, too, must be preserved. Show that you care about Beth Haim For the descendents of the Portuguese Jewish community, the maintenance of Beth Haim is an expensive duty. This, as you may realize, is more than the small community can afford, which is why we are asking for your help: Your contribution. For the structural restoration and maintenance of Beth Haim. Show that you care. Do something. How to Contribute? See contact.and David Henriques de Castrofonds Foundation: