Jews Between Christians and Muslims in the Early Modern World

What were the different experiences for Jews living among Christians and Muslims? How did Islam and Christianity affect the development of Jewish society and culture? Examine these questions by looking at two flourishing Jewish centers from 1500-1800: one in the Muslim Ottoman Empire, the other in the Christian Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Topics to be discussed include: Christian and Muslim attitudes towards Jews and the Jews' response to them; Jewish communities in Polish and Ottoman towns; the development of Jewish law in both settings; Christianity, Islam, and anti-Jewish violence; the interactions of Jewish, Muslim, and Christian mystical movements. Enrollment limit: 20.