LJG Amsterdam

What LJG Amsterdam does

LJG Amsterdam (Liberaal Joodse Gemeente Amsterdam) is the largest Liberal Jewish congregation in the Netherlands and one of ten affiliated communities under the Nederlands Verbond voor Progressief Jodendom, itself connected to the European Union for Progressive Judaism and the World Union for Progressive Judaism. The organization operates as a kerkgenootschap (religious community) with ANBI (Algemeen Nut Beogende Instelling) public-benefit status, governed by a member board chaired by Tom de Swaan with spiritual leadership from rabbis Menno ten Brink, Joram Rookmaaker, and Jeffrey Cohn. It serves nearly 2,000 members — families, couples, and singles — including a deliberate outreach focus on Israeli immigrants in the Netherlands. The congregation is registered in Amsterdam (RSIN 804 683 633) and operates from a purpose-built 2010 synagogue at Zuidelijke Wandelweg 41, with associated cemetery operations in Hoofddorp and Amstelveen.

The congregation's offering spans the full Jewish lifecycle. Core products include weekly Shabbat services (Sjoeldiensten), lifecycle ceremonies (brit mila, zeved bat, bar/bat mitzvah, weddings, burials via Gan Hasjalom), and a tiered education pipeline from Yeladoedels (ages 0-4) through Talmoed Tora (140+ children ages 4-13) to Netzer youth movement (12-18) and the Tamar young adult program (18-27). Cultural and community programming includes the Sjier Chadasj choir, Café Europa for Shoah survivors, concerts, debates, and the prize-winning Leer je Buren Kennen interfaith dialogue initiative. The wholly-owned Paula Salomon-Lindberg Stichting supports cantorial training, and the Studiecentrum delivers adult Jewish education across basic to advanced levels, including virtual lern groups.

The business model is a non-profit, community-funded model with four documented recurring revenue streams: annual membership contributions, tsedaka donations (often in multiples of 18 representing chai/life), periodieke schenking tax-deductible periodic gifts (minimum five years), and legacies/inheritances through estate planning. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; membership terms require contact with the rabbinate, while cemetery services differentiate member versus non-member rates. Distribution is direct — primarily via the Amsterdam synagogue, supported by a website (ljgamsterdam.nl) with multilingual (Dutch/Hebrew/English) content, a newsletter, a mobile app, a Facebook group, and school-based outreach. The organization employs approximately 30 staff and draws on 150+ regular volunteers to operate its programs.

Name

LJG Amsterdam

Legal name

Liberaal Joodse Gemeente Amsterdam

Website

https://ljgamsterdam.nl

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

LJG Amsterdam is the largest Liberal Jewish congregation in the Netherlands, serving nearly 2,000 members with weekly services, lifecycle ceremonies, tiered education, cultural programs, and cemetery operations across Amsterdam, Hoofddorp, and Amstelveen under ANBI status.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Community Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (81311)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Places of Worship & Religious Facilities Operations (Cemeteries, Retreat Centers, Pilgrimage Sites) (BPAGAJAL)

Keywords

• Jewish community services
• Religious education programs
• Lifecycle ceremony services
• Jewish cultural activities
• Synagogue worship services

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Contributions: Annual membership fees paid by members. The congregation operates as an ANBI (Algemeen Nut Beogende Instelling), and membership fees contribute to funding religious services, education, security, building maintenance, and social-cultural activities.
2. Donations (Tsedaka): Voluntary donations from members and supporters, often in multiples of 18 (representing chai/life). Donations support urgent needs within the congregation including security, building maintenance, education, and cultural activities. One-time and periodic gifts are accepted.
3. Legacies and Inheritances: The congregation accepts legacies and inheritances through wills, helping secure the future of Jewish generations. The organization provides discreet advisory services for those considering including LJG Amsterdam in their estate planning.
4. Periodieke Schenking (Periodic Donations): Tax-deductible periodic donations for a minimum period of five years, offered as an ANBI. These donations provide the congregation with predictable recurring revenue while offering donors tax benefits.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

LJG Amsterdam is a progressive egalitarian Liberal Jewish congregation (kerkgenootschap) in Amsterdam providing Shabbat and Jewish holiday services, Jewish education for all age groups (children, youth, and adults), lifecycle ceremonies including weddings, b'nai mitzvah, brit milah, and funerals, cultural programming, and cemetery services at Gan Hasjalom. It serves approximately 2,000 members through its synagogue operations, educational programs, and community events.

Product overview

LJG Amsterdam operates as a Liberal Jewish congregation offering a comprehensive portfolio of religious, educational, and cultural services. The core offering consists of weekly synagogue services (Sjoeldiensten) and holiday observances. Religious education spans from Yeladoedels (ages 0-4) through Talmoed Tora (ages 4-13), supplemented by youth movements Netzer (ages 12-18) and Tamar (ages 18-27). The Studiecentrum provides adult education including courses, study sessions, and trips. Cultural programming encompasses concerts, debates, exhibitions, the Sjier Chadasj choir, and Café Europa for Shoah survivors. The congregation also manages lifecycle ceremonies (brit mila, bar/bat mitzva, weddings, burials) through Gan Hasjalom cemeteries, and runs the award-winning 'Leer je Buren Kennen' interfaith dialogue program. The Paula Salomon-Lindberg Stichting supports cantorial education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Talmoed Tora: Jewish religious education program for children aged 4 to 13 (bar/bat mitzvah age), held on Sunday mornings with over 140 children enrolled.
• Netzer
• Tamar
• Gan Hasjalom
• Studiecentrum
• Paula Salomon-Lindberg Stichting

Products and services

• Synagogue Worship Services (Shabbat and Holidays)
• Talmoed Tora Children's Education Formal Jewish education program for primary-school-age children of the congregation, teaching Hebrew, Torah, and Jewish traditions.
• Yeladoedels (Early Childhood Program) Jewish education and introduction program for children aged 0-4 together with their parents, hosted in the synagogue community.
• Netzer Youth Movement Jewish youth movement for members aged 12-18, offering social, educational, and community activities.
• Tamar Young Adults Program Community, social, and educational activities for young adults aged 18-27 in the Liberal Jewish tradition.
• Studiecentrum (Adult Jewish Education) Continuing Jewish education program for adult members, including study circles, lectures, and rabbinic study.
• Cultural Activities Program Cultural programming including lectures, concerts, film screenings, and special events with prominent guest speakers such as Abdelkader Benali, Hella Pick, and J. van den Berg.
• Café Europa Regular cultural-culinary gathering combining Jewish-themed food, music, and discussion open to members and the wider community.
• Sjier Chadasj Choir Choir of the congregation performing during Shabbat services, holidays, and special events, open to interested members.
• Leer je Buren Kennen (Get to Know Your Neighbors) Outreach initiative pairing LJG members with non-Jewish neighbors to foster dialogue, social connection, and interfaith understanding.
• Gan Hasjalom Cemetery Services Jewish cemetery in Diemen providing burial plots, funerals, and remembrance services to members and the wider Jewish community.
• Paula Salomon-Lindberg Stichting Foundation Affiliated welfare foundation providing social support services to vulnerable members of the Jewish community, including the elderly and those in need.
• Lifecycle Ceremonies Officiating of lifecycle ceremonies including brit milah, b'nai mitzvah, weddings, and funerals performed by the LJG rabbis.
• Membership (Lidmaatschap) Formal membership program conferring access to all congregation services, education, and participation, with recommended minimum annual contribution of €1,070 and reduced rates for members with lower income.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Nederlands Verbond voor Progressief Jodendom (Verbond)coreOthersLJG Amsterdam is affiliated with the Dutch Union for Progressive Judaism (Verbond), which coordinates progressive Jewish communities across the Netherlands. The Verbond provides rabbinical oversight and connects LJG to international progressive Jewish organizations.
• World Union for Progressive Judaism (WUPJ)coreOthersInternational umbrella organization for progressive Judaism. LJG Amsterdam operates according to the principles of liberal Judaism as experienced within the WUPJ, adapted to Dutch circumstances.
• Europese Unie voor Progressief Jodendom (EUJP)coreOthersEuropean umbrella organization for progressive Judaism. The Verbond, and thus LJG Amsterdam, is affiliated with EUJP.
• Paula Salomon-Lindberg StichtingminorOthersFoundation established to support people wanting to develop in cantorial arts (chazzanoet). LJG Amsterdam manages this foundation and its activities support training for prayer leaders and cantors.
• Levisson InstituutminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJewish educational institute offering not only rabbi training but also courses for shaliach tsiboer, baal kore, baal tefilla and gabbai, as well as cantorial training supported by the Paula Salomon-Lindberg Stichting.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• LJG Den Haag: A sister progressive Jewish congregation in The Hague, also part of the Verbond network. Comparable as a direct peer progressive congregation offering Shabbat services, education, and lifecycle services to a similar Dutch Jewish demographic.
• Jewish Community of Amsterdam (NIK Amsterdam): Amsterdam chapter of the Nederlands Israëlitisch Kerkgenootschap, operating competitive Orthodox services in the same city. Comparable in geographic overlap, member target market, and full lifecycle service offering.
• Joods Liberale Gemeente Rotterdam (JLGR): The progressive Jewish community in Rotterdam, another of the 10 Verbond communities. Directly comparable in size, mission, and product offerings (services, education, cemetery) within the same Dutch progressive network.
• Nederlands Israëlitisch Kerkgenootschap (NIK): The Ashkenazi Orthodox umbrella organization in the Netherlands, coordinating Jewish congregations that include the Amsterdam community. Directly comparable as a Netherlands-based kerkgenootschap with ANBI status, membership dues, and cemetery operations competing for the same demographic.
• Portugees-Israëlitische Kerk Amsterdam: The historic Portuguese-Israelite synagogue community in Amsterdam, a direct neighborhood-level competitor for Jewish households in the city. Comparable in operating a synagogue complex, cemetery, and membership-based services in the same Amsterdam market.

Broad incumbents

• World Union for Progressive Judaism (WUPJ): The international umbrella for progressive Judaism, with which LJG Amsterdam is affiliated. Comparable as a larger federation operating in the same religious category, providing brand and network resources to its member congregations.
• Nederlands Verbond voor Progressief Jodendom: The Dutch Union for Progressive Judaism, of which LJG Amsterdam is a member. Comparable as the umbrella body coordinating the 10 progressive communities, providing rabbinical oversight and serving a similar ANBI-funded membership model.

Others

• Netzer Nederland: The national liberal Jewish youth movement of which LJG Amsterdam's Netzer group is a local chapter. Comparable as an affiliated organization offering youth programming and camps under the same progressive Jewish umbrella.
• Stichting Gan Hasjalom (subsidiary): Listed as a wholly owned subsidiary operating two cemeteries. Comparable as the death-care arm of the organization, structurally similar to standalone funeral/cemetery operators benchmarked in industry classification.

Emerging players

• Levisson Instituut: Amsterdam-based Jewish educational institute offering rabbinical and cantorial training, partnered with LJG Amsterdam. Comparable as a Jewish education provider in the same Dutch ecosystem, though focused on professional training rather than community services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/tamaramsterdamLJG
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ljg-amsterdam

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LJG Amsterdam