Shomre Hadas (Hebrew: שומרי הדת, meaning "Guardians of the Faith") is one of Antwerp's oldest and most influential Orthodox Jewish communities. Although officially founded in 1920, its roots extend back to the Israëlitische Gemeente van Antwerpen, the first officially recognized Jewish congregation in Belgium, established in 1816 under Dutch rule. Since the merger of the two communities in 1931, the name Shomre Hadas has become the commonly used name for the united congregation, a designation that continues today.
As Antwerp developed into one of Europe's most important Jewish centers during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Shomre Hadas became the religious home of a growing Modern Orthodox population, providing not only synagogue services but also education, kashrut supervision, rabbinical leadership, welfare, and communal infrastructure.
Foundation and Early Years
The modern Shomre Hadas community was established in 1920, appointing Rabbi Moshe Avigdor Amiel zt”l as its first chief rabbi. Rabbi Amiel, one of the leading Religious Zionist rabbis of his generation, immediately began shaping the community into a center of Torah learning combined with modern Jewish education.
One of his earliest achievements was the founding of the Tachkemoni School in 1920. The school combined traditional Jewish studies with a high-level secular curriculum, becoming one of the finest Jewish educational institutions in Europe and remaining one of Antwerp's leading Jewish schools today.
In 1936, Rabbi Amiel left Antwerp after being appointed Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv, where he would later become one of the most prominent rabbis in Mandatory Palestine. He was succeeded by Rabbi Samuel Brodt zt”l, who led the community during the difficult years leading up to the Second World War.
The Merger with the Dutch Community
Although Shomre Hadas was founded in 1920, Antwerp's officially recognized Jewish congregation had existed since 1816. Often referred to as the Dutch Community because many of its early members came from the Netherlands, it built the city's first major synagogue on Bouwmeestersstraat, inaugurated in 1893.
In 1931, the historic Dutch community formally merged with Shomre Hadas. Legally, the united congregation retained the name Israëlitische Gemeente van Antwerpen, but in everyday use the name Shomre Hadas quickly became synonymous with the community itself.
Synagogues
Today, Shomre Hadas operates two historic synagogues:
- The Hollandse Synagoge (Dutch Synagogue) on Bouwmeestersstraat, completed in 1893, designed by Jewish architect Joseph Hertogs in an impressive Moorish Revival style. It remains one of Antwerp's most recognizable Jewish landmarks.
- The Romi-Goldmuntz Synagogue, located on the corner of Van den Nestlei and Oostenstraat, inaugurated in 1929 (following construction that began in 1928) to accommodate Antwerp's rapidly growing Jewish population. Designed by Jewish architect Joseph De Lange, it became one of the community's principal centers of worship.
Around these synagogues developed an extensive religious infrastructure that included mikvaot (ritual baths), yeshivot, batei midrash, kosher supervision, a rabbinical court (Beth Din), burial societies, shechita services, and numerous smaller prayer houses, making Shomre Hadas the institutional heart of Modern Orthodox Jewish life in Antwerp.
Before the Second World War
By the late 1930s, Shomre Hadas counted approximately 3,170 members. Alongside the Orthodox community Machsike Hadass, it played a central role in the religious life of Antwerp's Jewish population.
The community also faced growing financial pressure as it assisted the increasing number of Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany and Austria. Relations between Shomre Hadas and Machsike Hadass were often strained, particularly over issues such as shechita supervision and communal authority. Despite attempts at reconciliation beginning in 1931, no lasting agreement was reached before the outbreak of the Second World War.
The Holocaust
The German occupation devastated the community.
On 14 April 1941, during what became known as the Antwerp Pogrom, pro-Nazi collaborators attacked the Jewish quarter. The synagogues on Van den Nestlei and Oostenstraat were vandalized, Torah scrolls and religious objects were desecrated, and parts of the synagogue complex and the rabbi's residence were set on fire.
Like the rest of Antwerp's Jewish population, Shomre Hadas suffered catastrophic losses during the deportations of 1942–1944. Thousands of its members were murdered in the Holocaust.
Reconstruction After the War
Following liberation, the surviving members rebuilt their institutions.
Between 1944 and 1958, Shomre Hadas and Machsike Hadass temporarily united under the United Israelite Communities of Antwerp (Verenigde Israëlitische Gemeenten van Antwerpen) to facilitate the reconstruction of Jewish communal life. In 1958, the two communities again became independent organizations.
The damaged Van den Nestlei synagogue was restored and reopened in 1954 under the name Romi-Goldmuntz, honoring one of its principal benefactors. The Hollandse Synagogue was likewise restored after suffering wartime damage, preserving one of Belgium's most important synagogue buildings.
Shomre Hadas Today
Today, Shomre Hadas remains one of Antwerp's three officially recognized Jewish communities and serves the city's Modern Orthodox population. It continues to operate synagogues, a Beth Din, mikvaot, kashrut supervision, burial services, educational initiatives, and numerous communal programs.
The community maintains a strong Religious Zionist orientation while preserving the traditions established by Rabbi Moshe Avigdor Amiel over a century ago. Together with its historic synagogues and institutions, Shomre Hadas remains one of the pillars of Jewish religious life in Antwerp.