Antwerp British and International Women

Other events 2009 - 2010:

A walk in the Jewish Quarter

March 18th 2010

	We set out from the station on this beautiful spring day to discover the Jewish district of Antwerp. The Jewish community in Antwerp is mostly orthodox and their dress is an outward indication that their religion is their way of life. Covering on the heads of both men and women indicates respect for God above.
The guide showed us a Mezuzah scroll beside one of the jewellery shops in the station. This scroll contains a prayer to God, and was something most of us had not noticed before.
	Left: The group on the Belgielei, in front of the memorial to the Holocaust. Below: the group enjoying some goodies from the Jewish bakery.
Jews eat Kosher food – that is, food that is allowed by religious rules that come from the Torah. Passover food must contain no yeast, so unleavened bread was on display, ready for the forthcoming festival at the end of March.

The main diamond area seemed rather ordinary, but it is a worldwide centre and has a long history. Antwerp imported spices and diamonds in the 16th century and was the biggest city in Northern Europe. Before the French Revolution, Jews were not allowed to join guilds and could not own land or property. These restrictions meant that trade in diamonds was the best option for the Jewish community, as diamonds are easily portable yet valuable.

Despite competition from India and elsewhere, Antwerp still sells 80% of raw diamonds in the world and the Jewish community is still central to this. Their religion is a central part of their lives and trust is an integral part of the diamond trade.