Introduction

Originally published in English in 1964, this volume describes the ghettos which formed medieval enclaves in the cities of Renaissance and post-Renaissance Europe. In their overcrowded quarter where the only protection against disease and epidemics was their own religious rules, the Jews were constantly exposed to violent attack, looting, and arson. Yet despite these conditions, the period of the ghetto was one of the richest eras of Jewish exile. The Bible was read and closely studied, culture and learning flourished and philosophical ideas were discussed and debated. The ghetto gave birth to Spinoza.