(Series in progress – 9 May 2025)
Amsterdam is not often associated with Kabbala, yet its kabbalistic history is both rich and surprising. From the works of the Ramchal (Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto) to hidden study circles and influential print houses, the city once played a quiet but central role in spreading kabbalistic thought across Europe.
Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzatto in Amsterdam
Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto, one of the most important Kabbalists of the 18th century, lived in Amsterdam during a key phase of his life.
- He arrived in Amsterdam in 1736, fleeing controversy in Italy.
- He stayed for several years, during which he wrote some of his most influential works, including Mesillat Yesharim (Path of the Just), Derech Hashem (The Way of God), and Da’at Tevunot (The Knowing Heart).
- Amsterdam’s tolerant and scholarly Jewish community gave him the space to publish and teach, after being silenced by rabbis in Padua.
Amsterdam as a Printing Powerhouse of Kabbala
In the 17th and 18th centuries, Amsterdam became a major center for printing Kabbalistic texts. This was due to a combination of religious tolerance, a strong Sephardic intellectual community, and advanced commercial infrastructure. After fleeing persecution in Spain and Portugal, many Sephardic Jews settled in Amsterdam and brought with them a deep interest in Kabbala and access to important manuscripts. The city’s openness allowed printers to operate freely, making Amsterdam one of the few places in Europe where mystical texts could be published without censorship. Key figures such as Menasseh ben Israel, Immanuel Benveniste, and the Proops family played central roles in this development.
Their presses published foundational works like the Zohar, Etz Chaim, writings from the Lurianic school, and later, the Ramchal’s works. These texts were not only used locally but exported across Europe and the Mediterranean, helping Amsterdam become a quiet yet powerful force in the preservation and spread of Kabbalistic thought.
Kabbalistic Circle of Amsterdam
In the early 1600s, Amsterdam was home to a vibrant and diverse circle of Kabbalists, shaped by Jewish thinkers from Spain, Portugal, North Africa, and Italy. At the heart of this circle were figures like Rabbi Isaac Uziel, Isaac Aboab da Fonseca, Abraham Cohen de Herrera, Menasseh ben Israel, and later Moshe Zacuto—each bringing unique Kabbalistic traditions.
These included philosophical interpretations, mystical teachings from Safed, and even magical practices. While some of their work was public, much of it took place in private study circles or through personal manuscripts. Zacuto, born in Amsterdam, studied with these teachers and carried their influence throughout his life—even after moving to Italy, where he became a leading editor and teacher of Lurianic Kabbalah. The Amsterdam circle never became a formal school but was a true crossroads of Kabbalistic ideas, rooted in spiritual curiosity, global Jewish networks, and the city’s atmosphere of intellectual openness.
A kabbalistic history of Amsterdam: more to come
This article is part of a developing series on the hidden kabbalistic heritage of cities across Europe and the Mediterranean. Amsterdam’s story is just the beginning.
About Circle of Gerona
We create/facilitate executive leadership programs, pilgrimages and sometimes concepts.
With our experience in the world of business, corporate leadership and Kabbalah we help executives to create from their core like great leaders.