First published in 2010. Long the standard authority on the subject, this classic work is the enlarged and revised edition begun by Israel Abrahams, one of the most distinguished Jewish scholars of his time, and completed after his death by the renowned Anglo-Jewish historian Cecil Roth. Through his writings, Abrahams made many aspects of Jewish culture and history, previously known only to scholars, accessible to a wider audience. In this volume, illustrated with distinctive woodcuts and prints, he deals with Jewish life in Europe from the tenth to the sixteenth century and the influence of Jewish thought on European culture. The work is arranged in twenty four chapters, which deal with the synagogue as the centre of social life; with the inner life of the synagogue; communal organization; the institution of the ghetto; social morality; the slave trade; monogamy and the home; home life; love and courtship; marriage customs; trades and occupations; the Jews and the theatre; the Purim-play and the drama in Hebrew; costume in law and fashion; the Jewish badge; private and communal charities; the medieval schools; the scope of education; medieval pastimes and indoor amusements; personal relations between Jews and Christians; and literary friendships. This magisterial book is a treasury of the rich cultural and historical life of the Jewish people.
