Throughout European history, Jews have been associated with commerce and the money trade, rendered both visible and vulnerable, like Shylock, by their economic distinctiveness. This is the story of Jewish perceptions of this economic difference and its effect on modern Jewish identity.
"A groundbreaking work. . . . Penslar persuasively demonstrates that economic issues, or 'political economy,' had a profound impact on the shape and character of Jewish self-understanding. . . . It will be required reading for all scholars . . . . [and] will also capture the attention of a general audience."-David Sorkin, author of Moses Mendelssohn and the Religious Enlightenment
"A major contribution. . . . Placing economics at the center of modern European Jewish history, Penslar presents an original interpretation of the critical issues of modern Jewish history: emancipation, social mobility, anti-Semitism, and the construction of new identities."-Paula E. Hyman, author of The Jews of Modern France
