Tikvah
Editors’ Pick

August 8, 2016

Josel of Rosheim, Martin Luther, and Jewish Politics in 16th-Century Germany

Obtaining a charter from the Holy Roman emperor.

When his proclaimed attempt to purify Christianity failed to precipitate a mass conversion of Jews, Martin Luther declared that “their synagogues . . . should be set on fire, . . . their homes should likewise be broken down and destroyed,” and their sacred books confiscated. He also advocated the execution of rabbis. Josel of Rosheim, a capable and resourceful leader, sought to rebut Luther’s slanders and successfully interceded with the Holy Roman emperor to obtain an official confirmation of Jewish rights and privileges. Eli Kavon comments:

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