Through the night in Amsterdam: Chaos and unity

In the early hours of Friday, after a chaotic Thursday night in the city of Amsterdam, my phone rang urgently—a call from a community leader describing the chaos spreading through the city. As I listened, my WhatsApp began filling with messages from friends and family in Israel and the US, all anxiously reaching out about loved ones here in Amsterdam, some fearing the worst. At 3 a.m., I set off toward the city center, staying in contact with authorities, who assured me that things were gradually coming under control.

Throughout the night, I was on the phone with Esther Voet, Editor-in-Chief of the Dutch Jewish Weekly NIW, as she coordinated efforts, sharing locations of people in need via WhatsApp groups. In the city, I met up with Bart Schut, also from NIW, and together we started visiting spots where people were stranded, frightened, and urgently needed help. The police, recognizing our mission, granted us access to these areas, allowing us to transport people to hospitals and other safe locations.

Rabbi Yanki Jacobs and NIW Journalist Bart Schut driving through the streets of Amsterdam to bring Israeli Maccabi Supporters to safety.

As dawn broke, the Netherlands division of the Maccabi Sports Federation, under the leadership of David Beesemer and Daniëlla Coronel, had organized an emergency shelter with remarkable efficiency. Over 200 volunteers rallied together, bringing food, medical supplies, and support, picking people up from hotels, and offering whatever help was needed. As a rabbi, I tried to provide comfort—not only to the Israelis waiting for repatriation flights but also to the Dutch volunteers, many of whom were shocked as well.

In one particularly moving moment, two Israeli men requested to put on tefillin—the phylacteries Jewish men wear during prayer. Realizing I had come straight from the city center—having spent the whole night driving around—without my own tefillin, volunteers quickly set off to fetch a pair. After the men prayed, one of them, visibly moved, asked for my address. He planned to send ten pairs of tefillin to be given out amongst the Jewish youth in Amsterdam, a gesture of thanks for a community that had united to help their Israeli brothers and sisters.

Rabbi Yanki Jacobs providing moral support at the Maccabi NL Emergency Safety Shelter in Amsterdam.

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More about Chabad in Amsterdam and in The Netherlands on www.chabadoncampus.nl or www.chabadamsterdam.com