The Jews of Europe

Professor Kenneth Hanson offers a snapshot of Jewish life and lore before the Second World War, a time when the Jewish population of Europe never felt so at home. Out of 16 to 17 million Jews worldwide, 11 to 12 million lived in Europe, with 9 million in Eastern Europe alone. This was an entire civilization, centuries-old, with two Jewish languages: Hebrew and Yiddish. There was an ancient religious and cultural heritage and a unique folklore, of countless stories of wit and wisdom. In Western Europe, Jewish communities were largely assimilated, but in rural Europe, small Jewish villages, called shtetls, focused on tradition and were later brought to life in artwork like Fiddler on the Roof. But the rise of the Nazis changed everything, and the thriving Jewish communities of Europe entered a long, endless night.