Focusing on the figure of the rabbi, this
book provides a vivid picture of Italian Jewry during the Renaissance. The
author discusses Jewish life of the period (c.1450–1600)
in its social, institutional, and cultural aspects, placing them against the
backdrop of the wider Catholic environment to give an original interpretation
of how Jewish cultural and religious life developed in the Renaissance context.
Particular attention is given to changes in the status and functions of the
rabbis and to the relations between the rabbinate and the lay leadership. Of
special interest is the exploration of the cultural world of the rabbis and the
broader issue of intellectual developments at the time.



Essentially a translation of Part I of
the Hebrew edition, which won wide acclaim for its perspective, Rabbis and Jewish Communities in Renaissance
Italy has been carefully adapted for an English-speaking readership.
Substantial excerpts from the appendices have been incorporated into the text
so that the evidence necessary to support the arguments is easily accessible.