Library Ets Haim - Livraria Montezinos is part of the same seminary, founded in 1616 and has since 1675 housed in the complex of the Portuguese Synagogue in Amsterdam. The 30,000 printed works and 500 manuscripts encompass all aspects of Jewish studies while also literature, history and science are represented.

The collections are the result of the Sephardic culture, which originated in Spain and Portugal.

By integrating without assimilating Spanish Jews often acted as an intermediary in the transfer of scientific achievements of the Islamic world to Christian Europe. In the same spirit traveled the curriculum of the Seminary Ets Haim emphasis on a thorough Jewish education in combination with excellent instruction in secular subjects such as literature, philosophy and science. With this curriculum Ets Haim has made an important contribution to a society where different religions lived together peacefully.

In september 2003 the collections of Ets Haim nominated for the UNESCO World Heritage List, bringing the universal importance was recognized.

In 1998, the collections of Library Ets Haim by the Minister of Culture already in their entirety on the list of the Law for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage posted.

The English version of this website will be available from mid-september 2003..