Robert Chazan (1) (1936–2024)

This relatively short book is the result of a lifetime's study of the history and historiography of medieval Jewry. Robert Chazan takes as his starting point this: if, as is popularly understood, the Middle Ages were a time of unremitting misery for European Jews, then why did Jewish communities not only survive in Europe, but flourish culturally and demographically? Chazan eschews both the "lachrymose" view of Jewish history and the more optimistic arguments in favour of overwhelmingly peaceful co-existence and argues instead for a more nuanced take on the matter. Jews were undoubtedly persecuted, but were creative, resilient, and resourceful in the face of that persecution; while often regarded as outsiders by their Christian neighbours, they remained in northern and western Europe out of a hope for better lives for their families and because they often came to construct identities for themselves which were both Jewish and regional.

In providing a synthesis of many years of historical debate, Chazan has written a book which will find a home in an advanced undergraduate or graduate classroom. Sadly, as Chazan himself acknowledges, while it's a debate which deserves a wider audience, it's unlikely that this book will reach a more general reader—the writing style is perhaps too fast-paced and dense to be broadly appealing. Still, a useful, thoughtful book and well worth a medievalist's time.… (meer)