Ets Haim is the oldest functioning Jewish library in the world. It was founded in 1616 and has been housed in the complex of the Portuguese Jewish community of Amsterdam since 1675. In 1889, former librarian David Montezinos donated his personal collection of manuscripts, books and prints to the library. The library has since been known as the 'Ets Haim – Livraria Montezinos'..The collections contain about 30.000 printed titles and 560 manuscripts dating from 1280 to the 20th century, representing the literary expression of the Sefardi way of life. Ets Haim is part of the Jewish Cultural Quarter, together with the Portuguese Synagogue, the Jewish Historical Museum and the National Holocaust Museum.
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