This virtual program is presented by the SFSU Department of Jewish Studies as part of the Fall 2020 Lectures in Jewish Studies and co-sponsored by the Jewish Community Library. Click here to register (a free Zoom account is required).

Anxieties and accusations concerning Jewish “usury” play a prominent role in narratives of Jewish expulsions in high and late medieval Europe, while the resulting stereotypes continue to serve as fuel for contemporary antisemitism. This talk will explore some of the myths—both medieval and modern—about the early association between Jews and moneylending, along with their tragic consequences over the course of the Middle Ages and beyond.

Rowan Dorin is an assistant professor of history at Stanford University. His research and teaching focus primarily on the legal and economic history of western Europe and the Mediterranean during the Middle Ages. He is currently finishing his first book, Conflicts of Interest: Christian and Jewish Moneylending and the Rise of Mass Expulsion in Late Medieval Europe.