Love, work, and death

The latter part of the thirteenth century is regarded as a key period in the history of Italian Jewry. During that time many Jewish communities sprang up in the regions of central and northern Italy. Their appearance marked a turning-point in the history of Jews in the Italian peninsula as the Jewish presence had previously been focused on Rome and the south.

In this much-acclaimed study originally published in Italian, Ariel Toaff captures all the intricacies of everyday life in the medieval Jewish communities of Umbria. A thorough examination of Hebrew and Italian archival sources enables him to characterize in detail the defining features of Jewish life in the region at that time and to show clearly how the common stereotype of a single, undifferentiated Jewish community does not reflect the reality.

Instead, he presents a picture of a complex society that - far from being a 'mere' minority and somewhat isolated - actually contributed greatly to contemporary society and played a significant role in shaping it.

Professor Toaff always elaborates contemporary Jewish traditions and practices associated with love, marriage, food, work, sickness, and death in the context of everyday social relations between Christians and Jews. In so doing he reveals a full and fascinating reconstruction of the life of the period that takes into consideration the links and divides between the two communities.

Love, Work, and Death: Jewish Life in Medieval Umbria will be of interest to all students of medieval Jewish history, as well as to specialists in the social history of medieval and Renaissance Italy.