Explosion Damages Jewish School in Amsterdam Early Shabbat Morning

An explosion damaged a Jewish school in Amsterdam early Saturday morning, in what local officials described as a targeted attack against the Jewish community. The blast struck the school’s outer wall in the Buitenveldert district at around 3:45 a.m., causing limited structural damage but no injuries.

The incident came just one day after another explosion outside a synagogue in Rotterdam, raising alarm among Dutch authorities and Jewish leaders about a wave of antisemitic attacks targeting Jewish institutions in the Netherlands.

Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema condemned the attack, saying it was directed at the city’s Jewish community. “This is a cowardly act of aggression towards the Jewish community,” she said.

Police said the explosive device was placed against the building’s exterior wall at the Jewish school, widely identified as Cheider, the only Orthodox Jewish school in the Netherlands. Investigators are examining security footage that reportedly shows a suspect arriving on a motor scooter, placing the explosive device, and fleeing shortly before the blast.

Halsema said Jewish residents in Amsterdam had increasingly faced antisemitism in recent months. “Jews in Amsterdam have been increasingly confronted with antisemitism, and that is unacceptable,” she said. Police have launched a manhunt for the suspect involved in the attack.

The Amsterdam explosion followed a similar incident Friday morning outside a synagogue in Rotterdam, where an explosive device caused a brief fire and damaged part of the building. No one was injured in that incident.

Dutch police later arrested four suspects in connection with the Rotterdam attack after stopping a car driving erratically near another synagogue. The suspects, who ranged in age from 17 to 19, were taken into custody and remain under investigation.

Chanan Hertzberger, chairman of the Central Jewish Council in the Netherlands, said the incident reflected a dangerous escalation. “The physical manifestation of antisemitism: after words and threats, actions now follow,” he said.

Dutch authorities said security at Jewish institutions had already been increased after recent threats and incidents, and police have now escalated their response nationwide. Officials said the attacks had an “enormous impact” on the country’s Jewish community and emphasized that protecting Jewish institutions remains a priority.

Prime Minister Rob Jetten condemned the attacks, saying violence and intimidation against Jews had no place in the country. “In the Netherlands, there must be no place for antisemitism,” he said.

Israel’s President Isaac Herzog also responded to the incidents, holding calls with leaders of the Dutch Jewish community to express support and solidarity. Participants in the call included Chanan Hertzberger of the Centraal Joods Overleg, leaders of the Jewish community in Rotterdam, and representatives of the Cheider school in Amsterdam, along with Israel’s ambassador to the Netherlands.

“It is totally unacceptable that the historic Jewish community of the Netherlands, which was devastated during the Holocaust and today is a thriving center of Jewish life, continues to be threatened by violent antisemitism,” Herzog said.

Herzog warned that the broader trend of attacks targeting Jewish communities across Europe required decisive action from governments. “The rise in antisemitic violence across Europe is deeply concerning and demands a strong and unequivocal response,” he said.

Dutch authorities said investigations into both incidents remain ongoing as police continue searching for suspects in the Amsterdam attack.