User:Rdelto105/sandbox

Another such historian is Ivan Marcus. The section of his book Cultures of the Jews, “Jewish-Christian Symbiosis” deals with the relationship between Christians and Ashkenazi Jews. Marcus claims that the time is written off as a time of intolerance against Jews living in Europe. For Marcus times of persecution were rarities and few and far between. The two communities lived amongst each other and interacted socially on an everyday basis. They interacted at such a personal level both Christian and Jewish leaders thought that the other group would heavily influence their respective faiths. When persecution did occur however it was only the more drastic measures that stopped the close interactions between the two groups. Had the intense violence described in other sources been the standard for living condition of the Askkenazi Jews then they would not have survived the era let alone their culture which is the roots for many Jews today.

However some do not agree with this view of history. Historian Daniel Lasker does not see the relationship of Christians and Jews in the same light. Lansker says that the expulsions Jews in Spain faced in 1492 were the product of the revolts seen a century earlier in 1391. Lasker notes even though the relationship might have been positive it ended on a negative note. The expulsions of the Jews in various regions is that ending, with a wide range of reasons behind them not just religion. Lasker also says that the reason for the Jews returning to regions they were expelled from was not acceptance as to what happened but did so because they had a sense of comfort in familiarity there. While Lasker acknowledges that Jews and Christians as having some positive relationships he does not want to write off the tension of the area.