The Making of Western Jewry, 1600-1819

In a broad sweep from central Europe to Ireland and from the 16th to the early 19th century, this unusual work puts the Jewish community and its rabbinic and "lay" leaders at the center of Jewish history. Of surpassing value is Kochan's treatment of the community not only as a religious but also as a political unit. It shows the community at grips with the Reformation and the introduction of the ghetto system in the Italian states. Kochan's analysis of the clash of interests between the few wealthy and the multitude of poor Jews raises doubts about the whole notion of "community." The later chapters critically examine the policy of emancipation as pursued by the Jewish leadership in France and the German and Italian states during the wars of the French revolution and the Napoleonic period. This section discusses the failure of Jewish diplomacy at the Congress of Vienna. A final chapter expounds the emergence of Orthodoxy in terms of the tumultuous changes in Jewish society over these two centuries. In The Late Sixteenth Century, After The Expulsions Of The Middle Ages, The Jews Of Western And Central Europe Came To Enjoy A Period Of Relative Stability. This Book Describes How They Set About Restoring Old Communities And Creating New Centres In The Habsburg Empire, France, England And The German States. Sephardi Jews, Expelled From Spain And Portugal, Were Pioneers In The Emergence Of Hamburg, Amsterdam, London And Bordeaux As Key Points In The Atlantic Economy. Tension And Friction Everywhere Accompanied These Achievements, Both Inside The Jewish Communities And In Their Relationship To The Christian World. Rich Jews And Poor Jews Had Conflicting Interests, And Their Struggle Inside The Communities Sometimes Led To A Breakdown Of Communal Discipline. In Seventeenth-century Prague, For Example, This Was On Such A Scale That The Emperors Had To Intervene To Restore Harmony. The Book Ends With The Troubled Jewish Response To The Nineteenth-century World Of Political Freedom, Intellectual Challenge And Anti-semitism.--book Jacket. Central Europe In Peace And War, 1600-48 -- 'a Little Jerusalem' And 'a Great Jerusalem' -- On French Soil -- Resettlement In London -- At Peace In The Post-war World -- Prague And Bohemia : From Recovery To Reduction -- Early Decades In Brandenburg-prussia : The Last Resettlement -- Amsterdam : From Turmoil To Decline -- From London To The Provinces -- Expulsion From Prague (1745-8) -- The Old And The New Kehillah -- 'jerusalem' In Berlin -- On The Eve, In France -- The Rabbi And The Emperor: Ezekiel Landau And Joseph Ii -- Revolution And War, 1789-1805 -- Beyond The Rhine And Over The Alps -- Another Rabbi, Another Emperor : David Sinzheim And Napoleon -- From Paris To Vienna -- Epilogue : 1819. Lionel Kochan. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 309-378) And Index. Cover......Page 1 Contents......Page 8 Glossary......Page 10 Abbreviations......Page 11 Introduction......Page 12 1 Central Europe in Peace and War, 1600–48......Page 20 2 ‘A Little Jerusalem’ and ‘A Great Jerusalem’......Page 39 3 On French Soil......Page 55 4 Resettlement in London......Page 84 5 At Peace in the Post-War World......Page 98 6 Prague and Bohemia: From Recovery to Reduction......Page 123 7 Early Decades in Brandenburg-Prussia: The Last Resettlement......Page 139 8 Amsterdam: From Turmoil to Decline......Page 151 9 From London to the Provinces......Page 161 10 Expulsion from Prague (1745–8)......Page 178 11 The Old and the New Kehillah......Page 195 12 ‘Jerusalem’ in Berlin......Page 210 13 On the Eve, in France......Page 229 14 The Rabbi and the Emperor: Ezekiel Landau and Joseph II......Page 242 15 Revolution and War, 1789–1805......Page 261 16 Beyond the Rhine and Over the Alps......Page 278 17 Another Rabbi, Another Emperor: David Sinzheim and Napoleon......Page 286 18 From Paris to Vienna......Page 300 19 Epilogue: 1819......Page 311 Notes......Page 320 Bibliography......Page 366 B......Page 390 C......Page 391 E......Page 392 G......Page 393 I......Page 394 L......Page 395 M......Page 396 N......Page 397 P......Page 398 S......Page 399 W......Page 400 Z......Page 401 In a broad sweep from Central Europe to Ireland and from the Sixteenth to the early Nineteenth-century, this work puts the Jewish community and its rabbinic and'lay'leaders at the centre of Jewish history. Of surpassing value is Kochan's treatment of the community not only as a religious but also as a political unit. To present an history of the Jews in central and western Europe from the sixteenth to the early nineteenth century is the aim of this book.