News & Events

Event Details

Not Just Rabbis: Rethinking Jewish Communal Leadership in Medieval Europe

  • 14-th Century Hebrew slate tablet discovered in the medieval Jewish quarter of Cologne, Germany
  • Event Date: November 16, 2021
  • Event Start Time: 10:30 AM
  • Event Location: Miller Hall (14 College Ave); Room 115

Archaeological discoveries and fresh readings of rabbinic texts are revolutionizing understandings of Jewish communal
leadership in medieval Europe. Previously, this leadership was imagined as a scholarly religious elite that governed on the
basis of Jewish law. Now, by contrast, it is increasingly recognized that laymen were key players in urban governance.
Professor Effie Shoham-Steiner will share his research on these dynamics with a focus on the city of Cologne and the
ways lay leadership shaped communal decision-making.