Zionist library for boys and girls · 1908-01-01 · 2 · p. [Seite]

THE EM&ffCIEAIglOfl OF THE JBWS Iff. GEHMAZIU. The French Revolution of 1789 provided the lever *.0 the slowiy developing emancipation of Jews in Europe. In the following few lines you will be given a general picture of the position, of European Jewry, but in order to understand their life and the status of their ghettos more ftflly, you will have to make a thorough study of this period sf history, in your sichot. In every country in which they lived, the Jews were regarded as a stateless group of strangers, and as such had no claim to state-protection. Their living space was limited, as they were only allowed to settle in a specially selected area - the ghetto, Their means of livlihood were also limited, as they were only allowed to follow certain professions - primarily those trades and professions which wero despised by the non-Jewish population .(such as money-lending, tax collecting and beer brewing) all other professions being closed to them. For the right to live even in the .Ghetto, they were forced, topay a certain tax, ana if they wanted to merry, special permission had to bo obtained. As a result of this hatred end restrictions, the Jews kept closely together and built up their own culture and traditions. From the following letter, written by a traveller through the Fronkfurt and Main ghetto, you can picture to yourself how a ghetto in Germany looked at that time Frankfurth 1795 (from Dubnov's Jewish History)„ "Imagine a long road blocked with houses 5-6 stories high. Imagine these houses v:\-V._ backed by more houses, -and these "by still more houses, so narrow that they do not allow daylight to penetrate..,In each house, every corner up to the very roof, is crowded with small rooms The inhabitants who crowd each house are happy when they can leave their "caves" and go out to breathe the damp air of. their dirty streets. These men'and women have to do their work in the streets because these unfortunate people have no room to do so in their homes