One of the characteristics of the Jewish community in Romania is that it serves as a bridge between Jewish communities of Eastern and Western Europe, as well as between Sephardi and Ashkenazi Jews.
The goal of the research was to illuminate the special character of the Jewish community in Romania and the social-cultural processes that shaped it.
The research focused on the following issues:
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The basic characteristics of the community: the family, school and other community institutions – social, religious and cultural.
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The community in its geographical context.
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The relationship between the community and the wider Romanian society, and relationships within the communities themselves.
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The relationships between the Jewish communities in Romania and Jewish communities in the neighboring countries (the Balkans, Poland, Galicia and others).
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The great influence that German Jewry extended upon the Jewish communities of Romania.
This work was based on archival materials and research in cemeteries. Based on his findings, Prof. Rotman wrote a book entitled The Kehillah in Romania: The Pulse, Character and History of the Jewish Community in Romania, which was published in December 2015 and distributed in early 2016.