Spanish-Jewish leadership seemed
totally unprepared for the severe
blow which struck its people in
1391."
These are the lessons of the
past which make Dr. Baron's his-
tory of such great importance for
Father Przeclaw M ojeck
claimed that these papal bulls all ages!
The description of the decline
had been outright forgeries, and
that at best they testified to the of Iberian Jewry is a deeply mov
purity of the Jewish faith but ing chapter. In spite of the trage-
not to the innocuous nature of dies that were visited upon Span-
ish Jewry, Dr. Baron states that it
contemporary Jews and of their
magic practices. He enumerated "not only survived the tremen-
dous onslaughts which would have
no less than 34 ritual murders
destroyed many a less persistent
and 14 host desecrations alleg-
group of people, but soon there-
edly committed by Polish Jewry
after it reached unprecedented
up to this time. The Jewish de-
fense usually proved ineffective; heights of achievement in its
for instance, the Cracow Jew Golden Age under the rule of
Islam."
who, according to the unsympa-

Dr. Salo Baron's Monumental 'Social and Religious History'
Enriched by Two New Volumes Describing the Late Middle
Ages, the Spirit of Survivalism Amidst Many Great Tragedies

Dr. Salo W. Baron's monumen-
tal "A Social and Religious History
of the Jews" has been augmented
with the appearance of the ninth
and tenth volumes, devoted to
"Late Middle Ages and Era of
European Expansion (1200-1650),"
additionally subtitled "Unde r
Church and Empire" and "On the
Empire's Periphery."
Issued jointly by the Jewish
Publication Society of America
nd Columbia University Press,
e two volumes deal with the set-
ement of Jews

a
s i

in the Holy Ro-
man Empire and
the roots estab-
lished by Jews in
European c o m -

munities.
These volumes
appear in second
editions, are en-
1 a r g e d and re-
vised, and intro-
duce new epi-
sodes in Prof.
Baron's continu-
ing accounts of
the periods under
review.

In the ninth
volume, t h e
study corn- Dr. Baron
mences with a review of the vic-
timization of the "infidel," with
forced conversions, discrimina-
tions, usury and fiscal conflicts,
segregation, toleration and re-
lated problems. It outlines an
uneasy coexistence of the Jew
as "stubborn dissenter, with
heresy hunting, compulsory ser-
mons, disputations." Then there
are polemics of the apologists
and the doctrinal controversies,
the role played by the Church,
the effects of the feudal an-
archy.
The tenth volume concerns it-

self with the Jewries of Germany,
France and England, the rise and
decline of Iberian Jewry and con-
ditions and events in Italy.
Richly annotated, these two vol-
umes are filled with such a vast
amount of material dealing with
the eras under discussion, they
cover such a vast sphere of Jewish
experience, that they enrich knowl-
edge, they serve as a new reposi-
tory of information about Jews in
the Roman Empire and they pro-
vide a basis for extended study
of an important period in Jewish
history.
Because of the ecumenical dis-
cussions of recent years, the cov-
erage of events related to the
Church make these volumes espe-
cially significant at this time, and
they assume a most valuable spot
in Jewish classical literature.

In his discussion of the role
of the Jew as "infidel" in the
eyes of the Church, Dr. Baron
states that "the Church never
abandoned its general insistence
upon keeping Jews in a state
of lowly submission and segre-
gation." He points out that the
Church adopted the "protective
constitution,, `Sicut Judaeis,' "
and that the Blood .Accusation
had been sharply condemned,
but that "the popes also spelled
out in greater detail the anti-
Jewish provision of canon law."
He further shows that when-

•:411

ever the popes "felt that the Jews
were excessively favored by Catho-
lic monarchs, especially by being
entrusted with high public office
and dominion over Christians, they
as well as the councils raised their
voices in protest. But whenever
popular hostilities, nurtured by
such folklOristic accusations as the
blood libel, poisoning of wells, and
desecration of the host, threatened
widespread blood baths, popes and
other churchmen often came to the
rescue. As it happened, the 14th
and 15th Centuries furnished more
opportunities for popes to counsel
restraint than to be in the van-
guard of the accusers of Jewry."

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, March 11, 1966-3

The Church's desire to perpet-
uate the Jewish "remnant," the
differing views of popes on the
Jews, is indicidated by Dr. Baron
who points out:
"Some popes, like Pedro de
Luna serving as Antipope Bene-
dict XIII, caught the spirit of
popular hostility and led the
chorus of anti-Jewish accusers. But
those exceptions were, as a rule,
quickly overcome by the return
of the Church to its traditional
`golden mean.' Benedict XIII not
only faced the opposition of two
rival occupants of the Holy See,
but he was followed by the uni-
versally recognized pope, Martin
V, who leaned backward in em-
phasizing pro-Jewish aspects of
canonical tradition. In this way
the Church served, on the whole,
as the conserving force, helping
to preserve the Jewish 'remnant'
to the end of days."

Churchmen "feared that the
presence of Jewish 'infidels'
might add fuel to sectarian devi-
ations" by "influencing Chris-
tians or converted Jews to pro-
fess Judasim." Dr. Baron states
that in the heresy hunting: "Jud-
daism, often invoked as a wit-
ness for Christianity because' it
attested the authenticity of the
Bible, could also become an in-
imical force in an age when
Scripture began to serve as an
armory for heretical teachings.
The Church looked askance at
the mere presence of Bibles in
the hands of laymen. In 1199,
Innocent III, in part echoing
Gregory VII, declared that Scrip-
ture contained lessons too pro-
found to be comprehended by
the laity, and therefore the faith-
ful ought to rely wholly on the
clergy for its proper interpre-
tation. Thirty years later the
Council of Toulouse went fur-
ther and forbade laymen to
possess Bibles in either Latin or
the vernacular. In 1234, James
I of Aragon at the Council of
Tarragona ordered all owners
of Old and New Testaments
written in `Romancio' to deliver
them to the authorities, or else
become suspect of heretical lean-
ings. Hebrew Bibles in the pos-
session of Jews appeared less
dangerous because of the linguis-
tic barrier, but their oral in-
terpretation by Jews could stim-
ulate inquiring Christian minds
to view Scripture in an unauthor-
ized light. Hence the 'most cele-
brated' preacher, Berthold of
Ratisbon, warned Christians not
to discuss biblical issues with
Jews 'for ye are unlearned while
they are learned in Scriptures.' "

Of immense interest is the sec-
tion dealing with disputations. Dr.
Baron lists the significant occur-
rences, states that they "left a
permanent imprint on the apolo-
getic thinking of both parties"
and declares that although the rec-
cords are "incomplete, contradic-

tory, invariably biased" they "have
enabled modern scholars plausibly
to reconstruct the actual proceed-
ings."
Life of Jews within walled ghet-
tos, the manner in which they
have, in spite of menacing condi-
tions, "weathered the storms and
emerged from the Medieval trials
and tribulations unscathed and
prepared to partake of the mar-
velous newer forms of human life
gradually unfolding in the modern
era" are depicted factually.
Numerous incidents of Jewish
experiences under Church dom-
ination, of the life of Jews in Ger-
many, of the effects of Empire
and Church rule, are recorded.
and the German hierarchy is cred-
ited with having consistently pro-
tected Jewry in that era. Controls
had shifted in the course of time
from archbishop to municipal
council. There were the recurring
massacres and blood libel accu-
sations, Jews were the accused
in the Black Death plague in the
14th Century, and there were re-
coveries attesting to the Jewish
will to live.

Before 1391, during that hor-
rible period of massacres, Dr.
Baron writes that "one might
have questioned the survivalist
power of the Spanish and Portu-
guese Jews." But there was a
cultural resurgence and "such
a vitality withstood even this
Progress was made, however,
heaviest
of blows. As it turned
•
and in the 16th and 17th Centuries
out, the events of 1492-98
Jewish communities developed as
cultural and religious centers. Dec- marked for neither Spain nor
i m a t e d communities eventually Portugal and still less for the
were revived. In France and in Iberian Jewish people a final
England there were revivals. In chapter on the long history of
France the contributions of Rashi Judeo-Christian symbiosis . . .
and even more so Portu-
n
and other Jewish scholars helped
Jews were 'serfs in many salvage for posterity "the records gal were to wrestle with the
chambers," there were overlord- of their daily living and religious problem of the surviving 'con-
ship situations, there were re-
rituals. In the vast literature of verso' minority for generations
straints amidst "temperamental costumals, written in the 14th and thereafter. On the other hand,
the Jewish and Marrano disper-
outbursts" involving the emper- 15th Centuries, they succeeded in
ors and they evolved in trans- erecting a living memorial to the sions, while still carrying the
torch of their Iberian heritage,
formations, political and ideologi- great variety of mores and observ-
cal, and soon "the surviving rem- ances which had, in the course of were to inject a powerful fer-
nant of Medieval Jewry was able
the preceding centuries, evolved ment into many West-European '
and Mid-Eastern societies. They
to furnish to the princely gov- in the various parts of the Ash-
simultaneously penetrated also
ernments a number of enter- kenazic world. Together with their
prising Jewish counselors," thus assiduous labors in preserving and the- vast expanses of the newly
leading to the era of the "Court
commenting on the works of their discovered Western Hemisphere.
Jew."
predecessors, they were thus able Like some other great migratory
The development of Jewish to transmit a rich intellectual pa- movements, this almost world-
communal life in the European trimony to the nascent Polish com- wide dispersal of descendants of
countries, in the course of and munities which soon carried tho the Spanish-Portuguese refugees
subsequent to the tragic occur- torch of traditional Jewish learn- became, in the long run, a major
rences that are part of this monu- ing with a new brilliance and vehicle of progress in the his-
tory of European and Jewish
mental study are told in the tenth effervescence."
civilization."
volume of Dr. Baron's "Social and
The rise of the Iberian coun-
Some of the latter points are
Religious History of the Jews." tries, in Spain, Portugal, south-
developed in the concluding chap-
Life in Switzerland, Germany and
ern Italy, the Provence, there
the Low Countries, and the devel- were so many noteworthy occur- ter, "Italian Potpourri." The his-
tory of the various communities,
opments in Poland are described. rences that Dr. Baron's account
While little information was avail- offers a most illuminating review their cultural life, their economic
able about Swiss Jewry antedating of events, of the relationships struggles, the charges leveled at
them, the defenses they sought,
the 12th and 13th Centuries, sub- with Christians under the Pa-
the roles of eminent Jewish per-
sequent events are reviewed. Even pacy and with Muslims, of the
here there was a blood accusa- contributions of Italian Jewry sonalities and of churchmen, the
spread of Jewish communities—
tion.
"to the sustained intellectual
Hungary, Holland, Belgium fig- efforts of the Jewish people the these are among the many vital
ure in the resume. In the evalua- world over." There were the aspects of a rich history that was
always in struggle, continually cre-
tion of Polish developments, Dr.
creative efforts and the strug-
ative, mostly on the defensive,
Baron writes:
gles for survival. There were showing the ability to survive.
"Anti-Jewish agitation received
the continuing attacks, the de-
The dramatic vicissitudes of nu-
increasing nourishment from the
fenses, the protections on oc-
merous communities are under re-
introduction into Poland, too,
casions.
view here. There were many rami-
of the folkloristic accusations
Soon Spanish Jewry "passed the fications, threats, dangers, shad-
of ritual murder and the dese-
cration of hosts. As early as apogee of its power and influence" . ows—and also lights.
which it had acquired during a
Of interest in Dr. Baron's
1347, the first Polish Blood Ac-
chronicle of events is his asser-
cusation caused the Jews to ap- golden period in history. "Dur-
tion that because of the Jews'
peal to the pope for protection. ing the 14th Century it lost much
adaptability to changing condi-
However, the papal bull of 1349 of its expansive 'elan' and it merely
tried
to
consolidate
its
position,_
tions, their pioneering ingenuity,
was no more effective in Poland
diversification and cultural cre-
than were earlier bulls and im- which was being gradually under-
ativity, "even the fanatical spirit
perial decrees in their Holy mined by the growing intolerance
Roman Empire and elsewhere. of the Spanish and Portuguese of the Crusades interfered but
peoples.."
little with the intimate collabo-
In 1598 an ardent Jew-baiter,
On the eve of the decline, "pop- ration of Jews and Christians
ular resentments manifested them-
during the Late Middle Ages.
selves in occasional attacks on in-
Only the cities located north of
dividual Jews or Jewish quarters. the States of the Church 're-
Farsighted Jewish leaders sensed mained sparsely, if at all, popu-
the dangers facing their communi- lated by Jews. But this was the
ties in periods of . inner upheaval. effect of economic jealousies and
Poets often gave vent to their self-sufficiency of the enterpris-
coreligionists' feeling of despon- ing and expansive North-Italian
dency over endless chicaneries by merchant class, rather than of
predominantly hostile neighbors religious intolerance as such.
and fiscal extortionists. But the
Before long, however, the rela-
majority seems to have lulled itself tive decline in the prosperity of
into a feeling of security because that class, occasioned by the eco-
it saw bow effective royal interven- nomic crisis of the 14th and 15th
tion was in stemming the attacks Centuries, forced one northern
of the Pastoreaux or of the fren- city after another to admit ever
zied mobs during the Black Death new groups of Jews . ."

thetic German merchant, Justis
Ludwig Dietz (Decius), had
`strongly and courageously de-
fended himself' against the al-
legation of having desecrated a
host, was nevertheless burned
(1508) . • ."

Hias Resettles Egyptian Refugees

Just landed at Kennedy Airport are members of the Idy family,
United Hias assisted refugees from Egypt. Held by his mother,
Anna, is Moussa, 3, while Joseph, six months, is wheeled in a lug-
gage cart by his father, Salomon. The New York Association for New
Americans will help the family become established in the New York
area. The newcomers are joining five of Mr. Idy's sisters and their
families who were previously aided to migrate and resettle by United
Hias and NYANA.

panic. They also saw that the
great crisis of dynastic transition
in Portugal in 1383 passed with-
out causing permanent damage to
their community. On the other
hand, a similar transition in Na-
varre in 1328 victimized many Jew-
ish lives, and the Castilian Civil
War of 1366-69 caused untold suf-
ferings to Jewish communities of
the whole realm. Taking little heed
of such warnings, however, the

A rich history is recorded in
these two volumes, and Dr. Bar-
on's analyses of the Jewish ability
to survive, of their dedication to
cultural aspects that gave new im-
petus to Jewish life, give special
significance to the two new vol-
umes. They are masterful works,
part of a great collection of class-
ics which again elevate Dr. Baron
to top leadership in the world of
Jewish scholars. — P. S.

