The Talmud Tora, which later became known as the PIG to denote the Dutch abbreviation for the Portuguese-Jewish Congregation, was founded in 1639. The synagogue and the surrounding annexes (the synagogue complex) have from the outset been the dynamic hub of what is now a small, vulnerable community. The buildings and the interior are part of the community’s cultural heritage. These premises provide accommodations integrating the ritual objects collection and Library Ets Haim – Livraria Montezinos.
In recent years the CEPIG (Cultural Heritage Foundation of the Portuguese-Jewish Community) has assumed the cultural heritage of the Portuguese-Jewish Community and Ets Haim Library. Since January 2009 the Jewish Historical Museum has been running the synagogue complex to arrange maintenance and management and to ensure global access to sections, benefiting a broad public of all ages, cultures and ideological backgrounds.