The Moneylending Jews of England

The Jews of England are the best-documented national Jewish community in medi Christendom. In 1066 when William the Conqueror, the new Norman king, came to England he invited his Jews from his Norman possessions to settle there with him. Not only was he the most important conqueror and usurper in English history but he seems to have been the first medieval King to transport Jews with him to a new land. Here we will encounter powerful financial magnates in Lincoln, London, Norwich, Oxford and York. We will see their houses, their synagogue spaces and other public areas where important events happened. In English I Sunday Jan. 23 This series will take us to strong and vibrant Jewish communities in the medieval period in Ashkenaz (Germany), Sicily and England. Each lecture comprises a detailed look at the history of these communities, their prominent members and scholars, how they functioned, their defining characteristics, and any visual remains of their presence still extant in these places.