Kanof Lecture—The World of Amsterdam-Based International Dowry Society Dotar: From Oppression to Relief

Presented in conjunction with the exhibition The Book of Esther in the Age of Rembrandt, the 2025 Kanof Lecture by Tirtsah Levie Bernfeld, independent scholar, Amsterdam, focuses on the Amsterdam-based international dowry society Dotar, also known as the Santa Companhia de Dotar orfas e donzelas pobres. Founded in 1615, it is one of the oldest Jewish charitable organizations still operating today.

The lecture explores Dotar’s international outreach, organizational structure, and conditions for participation, with particular emphasis on the early modern period. Through an analysis of petitions submitted to the society, Bernfeld also reveals the personal stories of young women and their families—members of the Spanish and Portuguese Jewish nation—as they faced persecution and hardship in their journey toward the free Jewish world.

Image: Engelbart Joosten Sr., Dotar Lottery Bowl, 1763, silver, H. 8 1/2 × W. 11 5/8 × D. 7 5/8 in., Collection of the Santa Companhia de Dotar Orphas e Donzellas, Amsterdam, Purchased from the bequest of Moses and Judith Teixeira de Mattos, 1781, D01