# **Ben jeluy jooden [Are you Jews?]****Three Sephardic street musicians were involved in a violent incident on the Stromarkt in Amsterdam, 1789. One of them does not survive. Was it a hate crime?**Mark PonteIt is August 1789, the month when revolutionary France proclaimed the general *Déclaration des droits de l'homme et du citoyen*, the first declaration of human rights. On Tuesday night 18 August, three Jewish street musicians head to the Haarlemmerbuurt in the Western part of Amsterdam to earn a few pennies. Little do they know then that the evening will end in anti-Semitic violence, in which one of the musicians will lose his life.A few days later, Friday 21 August 1789, musicians Joseph van Abraham de Pas and Rafael Salam, both from the 'Portugeesche Joodsche Natie', appear before notary and lawyer Hendrik Thomas Meijnsma to make a statement about what happened that night. Earlier that day, they buried their friend Moses Oeb Brandon (aka Brandao) at Beth Haim cemetery in Ouderkerk aan de Amstel; Moses was also Joseph's brother-in-law. The statement is made at the request of the city's chief officer, who has launched an investigation.Joseph and Rafael recount that earlier that Tuesday, around 8.30 pm, they went out to play music with Moses 'along the street and for anyone who wanted to hear them'. After playing for some time outside the Haarlemmerpoort, Rafael makes a tour to the assembled crowd to collect money. He gives the little they receive to Oeb Brandon, who is apparently the bandleader. Afterwards, they decide to continue playing inside the gate. Rafael passes the hat, and again he gives the money to Moses, but it is so little that Rafael adds that it was 'not worth playing for that'. An unproductive evening, then; however, there is a man person with 'a round hat on his head' who offers the three men a drink.With this unknown man, they enter a tavern 'where the *Schenk* hangs out', on the corner of Haarlemmerdijk and the second street from the gate. After drinking 'a cup of genever' there, the man in the hat asks them to play some more. Again, the trio plays a few tunes but again, the audience is only able to give them a few coins. The two musicians explain that Moses then thought it better to go home to the other side of town. All three lived in the old Jewish quarter, Joseph and Moses on Rapenburgergracht, Rafael Salam on the city island of Marken.It is 'by guess' 10.30pm when they walk down Haarlemmerdijk towards Nieuwendijk and from there onto Stromarkt. There they are assaulted ('aangetast') by two men.One of them grabs Moses Oeb Brandon while asking: ‘Ben jeluy Joden?' (‘’re you Jews?’) As the other man approaches Joseph and Rafael, the two set off running. Once back in their own neighbourhood, they visit Moses' house on Rapenburgergracht 'across the West Indian Company warehouses' They are told by his wife Esther De Paz that Moses has not come home. Over the next few days they 'did everything possible' to track Moses down, until on Friday they are informed that Moses has been found dead in the water between the Haarlemmersluis and the New Lutheran Church. The same day, he was buried at Beth Haim in Ouderkerk aan de Amstel.The chief public prosecutor (hoofdofficier) has the statement recorded, but it does not seem to have come to anything. No other witnesses were heard, if any, nor are any suspects identified. It is likely, therefore, that case, much like a hate crime, was never solved. Esther (1739-1829) is left alone with five children. At least two of her sons, Daniel (1760-1818) and Aron (1780-1842) - will later also earn a living as musicians.*Translation of a short piece published in Ons Amsterdam today. It was inspired by this thread on TSD: *https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSepardicDiaspora/posts/3347539368839014/https://archief.amsterdam/indexen/deeds/e557c10f-1299-7dcb-e053-b784100a971b