The Making of Western Jewry, 1600–1819

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. It shows the community at grips with the Reformation and the introduction of the ghetto system in the Italian states. Thence to the great maritime centre of Venice, Amsterdam, Hamburg and London, under the dominance of the Sephardi exiles from Spain and Portugal; and also to the metropolitan centres of Prague, Vienna and Berlin and the liaison of their court-Jews with the Hapsburgs, Bourbons and Hohenzollerns. This was not achieved without severe tension inside the communities and, whilst eschewing the concept of class-struggle, 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' Front Matter....Pages i-x Introduction....Pages 1-8 Central Europe in Peace and War, 1600–48....Pages 9-27 ‘A Little Jerusalem’ and ‘A Great Jerusalem’....Pages 28-43 On French Soil....Pages 44-72 Resettlement in London....Pages 73-86 At Peace in the Post-War World....Pages 87-111 Prague and Bohemia: From Recovery to Reduction....Pages 112-127 Early Decades in Brandenburg-Prussia: The Last Resettlement....Pages 128-139 Amsterdam: From Turmoil to Decline....Pages 140-149 From London to the Provinces....Pages 150-166 Expulsion from Prague (1745–8)....Pages 167-183 The Old and the New Kehillah....Pages 184-198 ‘Jerusalem’ in Berlin....Pages 199-217 On the Eve, in France....Pages 218-230 The Rabbi and the Emperor: Ezekiel Landau and Joseph II....Pages 231-249 Revolution and War, 1789–1805....Pages 250-266 Beyond the Rhine and Over the Alps....Pages 267-274 Another Rabbi, Another Emperor: David Sinzheim and Napoleon....Pages 275-288 From Paris to Vienna....Pages 289-299 Epilogue: 1819....Pages 300-308 Back Matter....Pages 309-390 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 Hapsburg 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

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.

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.