Studies in European Judaism. Edited by Giuseppe Veltri (Leopold-Zunz-Centre for Jewish Studies University of Halle-Wittenberg), Bruno Chiesa, Rachel Elior (Hebrew University Jerusalem), Alessandro Guetta (INALCO Paris), Eleazar Gutwirth (Tel Aviv University), Moshe Idel (Hebrew University Jerusalem), Hanna Liss (Hochschule für Jüdische Studien Heidelberg), Paul Mendes-Flohr (Hebrew University Jerusalem), R. Munk (Universiteit Leiden), David Ruderman (University of Pennsylvania), Peter Schäfer (Princeton University), Stefan Schreiner (University of Tübingen), Israel Yuval (Hebrew University Jerusalem), Jonathan Webber (University of Birmingham), M. Zuckermann (Tel Aviv University). 8: Cilli Kasper-Holtkotte, Im Westen Neues. Migration und ihre Folgen: deutsche Juden als Pioniere jüdischen Lebens in Belgien, 18./19. Jahrhundert, Leiden, E.J. Brill, viii-616, ISBN 978-90-04-13109-5

The study focuses on the initial establishment and subsequent development of Jewish life in Belgium in the 18th and 19th centuries. In addition reasons for German Jewish families to migrate and to settle permanently and for the first time in Belgium, thereby creating a nucleus of jewish life, are illustrated. It is explained why pioneers like Oppenheim, Benda, Schuster, Hauman, Morel, Bischofsheim and Deby left their homes (in Germany) and moved to unknown Belgian terretories. The engagement of these pioneers within the Jewish communities as well as their economic, political and social activities are highlighted.