In 1996 the world commemorated the 900th anniversary of the First Crusade or, more precisely, the pogroms unleashed by the crusade upon the Jews of the Rhineland. "In the Year 1096" presents a clear, highly readable chronicle of the events of 1096. Noted teacher and historian Robert Chazan brings readers to critical moments in Jewish history, illuminating the events themselves, their antecedents, and their far reaching consequences. Equally important, his book assesses the significance of the events of 1096 within the large framework of Jewish history, including both the scope of persecution and the record of Jewish resistance. He has created a dramatic portrait of the clash between three conflicting forces in medieval Europe: the German crusaders, the Rhineland burghers, and the Rhineland Jews. Chazan tells the story of 1096 in "grays" not blacks and whites; that is, he relates the stories of Christian enemies, but also Christian friends, and of Jewish martyrs, but also Jewish negotiators and converts.
by Robert Chazan