The text highlights the interconnected historical narratives between the Khazar nation and Jewish communities in Europe, focusing on the disappearance of the Khazars from their historical habitat and the simultaneous emergence of a significant Jewish population in northwestern regions. It is generally agreed upon by historians that the migration from Khazaria to regions such as Poland significantly contributed to the growth of Jewish populations there. However, the discussion pivots to the complexities of tracing the extent and specifics of these migrations, questioning whether the Khazars were the primary contributors to the Jewish demographic shift or part of a larger tapestry of movements that included Western Jews.
In Western Europe, particularly towards the end of the first millennium, the focal regions for Jewish settlements were France and the Rhineland. These communities are believed to have origins reaching back to Roman times, bolstered by further migrations from Italy and North Africa. With examples drawn from places like England, where Jews were integral to economic developments, it showcases the disproportionate influence Jewish populations held in political and economic realms relative to their modest numbers. However, despite this influence, Jewish communities frequently faced socio-political upheaval, resulting in tragic expulsions, as highlighted by the expulsion from England in 1290 and France in 1306.
The narrative then shifts to German Jewry, noting the absence of a comprehensive historical account, making it challenging to trace Jewish community developments before and during significant events such as the Khazar-Jewish immigration peaks into Poland. The Jewish settlements in places like Mayence (Mainz), Worms, and Spires are discussed, particularly their dire experiences during events like the First Crusade. The account vividly describes the harrowing choices faced by those communities, leading to martyrdom in the face of forced baptism, while underscoring their relatively small population size.
Finally, the text addresses misconceptions regarding the movements of Jewish populations following the First Crusade. Contrary to widely held beliefs, particularly among earlier historians, there is no substantial evidence of significant migration from German regions eastward into Poland or further into Eastern Europe during this period. The chronicles mainly depict survivors returning to their homes post-crusade attacks rather than embarking on migrations eastward, thus questioning assumptions about the Jewish demographic build-up in Eastern Europe resulting from these events. This historical oversight underscores the importance of critically examining migration narratives and considering other explanatory pathways, such as Khazar emigrations, in understanding Jewish diaspora history.
The thirteenth century saw a partial recovery for Jewish communities in areas adjacent to the Rhineland, but this period of respite was short-lived as the fourteenth century brought significant calamities to Franco-German Jewry. The expulsion of Jews from the royal domains of Philip le Bel marked the first major ordeal. Facing economic difficulties, Philip exploited Jewish wealth through heavy taxation and ultimately expelled all Jews from his domains in 1306, confiscating their property. The expelled Jews sought refuge in regions like Provence and Burgundy, but historical records suggest no significant migration of French Jews into Germany or further east into Poland.
The second major disaster was the Black Death, which swept through Europe between 1348 and 1350, decimating about a third of the population. The plague’s indiscriminate devastation was compounded by humans targeting Jewish communities, blaming them for poisoning wells to spread the disease. This led to mass executions and forced suicides among Jews. The aftermath left Germany and much of Western Europe nearly devoid of Jewish presence. Contemporary accounts and actions do not support the notion of substantial Jewish migrations from Germany eastward, despite such claims being recurrent in historical analyses.
Moreover, Germany’s remaining Jewish population could not sustain large communities within such a hostile environment, raising doubts about the historical view that Eastern European Jewry originated significantly from Western Jewish migrations. The aftermath of the Black Death further suggests that Jews’ survival strategies involved seeking refuge in nearby fortified or less hostile areas rather than embarking on extensive migrations. This notion is reinforced by the survival of certain pockets of Jews close to their original settlements post-plague, as opposed to migrating across Germany into Eastern Europe.
By the end of the Black Death and other catastrophes, Western Europe remained largely Judenrein for several centuries, with notable exceptions in Spain. The formation of modern Jewish communities in Western Europe during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries was largely the work of Sephardic Jews from Spain, whose history differs significantly from that of Ashkenazi Jews traditionally thought to have migrated from the Rhineland to Poland. This larger historical context challenges the traditional narrative of mass west-east Jewish migrations and suggests a re-evaluation based on contemporary evidence and linguistic studies.