3 Review(s)

This history of the Jews of theNetherlands and the role they have played in Dutch society was originallypublished in Dutch and widely acclaimed for the breadth of its coverage. Itcovers both the internal evolution of the Jewish community and its social,cultural, and economic interaction with the wider population. From the first Jewish settlements in themedieval duchies of Gelderland, Brabant, and Limburg to the Jewish community oftoday, the interaction between Dutch Jews and Dutch Christians has mostly beenone of fruitful collaboration which only the period of German occupation from1940 to 1945 was seriously able to disrupt. The contribution that Dutch Jewshave made, and continue to make, to cultural life, to the economy, and toscience is recognized as being of central importance to the Netherlands as awhole. The ten eminent scholars contributing tothis book each describe Jewish life in a particular period, from the MiddleAges to the present. In doing so they consider the strains caused within theJewish community by the effort to play a full part in Dutch society whilemaintaining Jewish culture, setting the discussion in the context of trends andtensions within Dutch society in the period in question. The circumstances ofthe Jews under German occupation and in the immediate post-war period are alsodiscussed.TheHistory of the Jews in the Netherlandsis a definitive, indispensable work for the study of both European Jewish andDutch history. CONTRIBUTORS J. C. H. Blom, F. Chaya Brasz, Joel J. Cahen, Renate G. Fuks-Mansfeld, Jonathan I. Israel, Yosef Kaplan, Peter Romijn, Ivo Schoeffer, B. M. J. Speet, Daniel M. Swetschinski