JEWISH existence in the Middle Ages presupposed a degree of self-government by Jewish communities, whether under Christian rule or Muslim domination. The absence of communal autonomy meant nothing less than the disintegration and ultimate disappearance of Jewish life in medieval society. The qehilah became the Jews’ miniature homeland in which they were able to conduct their religious, cultural, social, and national life with an intensity which enabled them to preserve their separate identity. Within the framework of this autonomy, the Jewish communities dispersed among the nations found ways and means, and availed themselves of opportunities offered to them, to achieve uniformity in important spheres which contributed much to the unity of the Jewish people. While this unity could not conceal the diversity and pluralism that characterized medieval Jewish life, it was however a source of spiritual strength and comfort which compensated a little for the absence of institutions and conditions which seemed vital in the life of other nations.

The Jewish aljama in the Crown of Aragon was no exception to this overall picture, and displayed features similar to those of other medieval Jewish communities. However, while its foundations followed the general pattern, in many fields the community in the Crown of Aragon differed from others and developed its own distinctive character. First and foremost, it served as a bridge between the communities in Christian Europe and those in Muslim lands. Because of its proximity to both, it absorbed influences from north and south alike. Furthermore, the Muslim and Christian occupations both left their mark on numerous aspects of communal life and organization. The aljama in any of the territories of the Crown of Aragon retained some institutions and posts, to which in some cases their names bear witness, typical of Jewish communities under the previous rulers of Muslim Spain.

Naturally, there was no uniformity in this respect across the lands of the Crown, since the process was determined primarily by an ever-fluctuating border. Traces of the Muslim past were much stronger in the newest acquisitions, whereas very clear influences from north of the Pyrenees were to be found in the regions that had been longest under Christian rule.