Following the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands in World War II, the museum was forced to close and much of the collection was lost.

Ceremonial objects from the museum collection are shown in locations where they used to be placed in the synagogue.

This gives visitors a sense of the surroundings in which they find themselves and enables them to taste the original synagogue atmosphere.

The galleries of the Great Synagogue feature a new presentation on the history of the Jews of the Netherlands from 1600 to 1890.

Stories about how Jews arrived in the Netherlands, the extent to which they managed to integrate, the cultural interchange with non-Jewish countrymen and the preservation of their identity resonate today in contemporary situations and debates.