This is the first scholarly volume devoted exclusively to analysis of the life and work of Leon Modena (1571-1648), the brilliant and colorful rabbi of Venice and one of the most important figures in early modern Jewish history. The eighteen essays in the collection, in English and Hebrew by world-renowned experts, address a broad range of intellectual and social activity, assessing Modena's relationship to art, music and literature, as well as the riddle of his orthodoxy. They illuminate obscure elements of Modena's biography, and offer the first analyses of some of his printed writings. Additionally, the volume provides a wide-angle snapshot of the social and cultural life of the Venetian Jews in the 17th century. Contributors to this volume include Benjamin Ravid, Avriel Bar-Levav, Marina Arbib, Joanna Weinberg, Talya Fishman, Don Haran, Shlomo Simonsohn, Dorit Raines, Jeffrey Woolf, Alessandro Guetta, Howard Adelman, Abraham Melamed, Ariel Rathaus, David Cassuto, Shalom Sabar and Guest Editor: David Malkiel. ITALIA: Periodical for research in the history, culture and literature of the Jews of Italy. Institute of Jewish Studies, Faculty of Humanities, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. and The Ben-Zvi Institute, Jerusalem.

A Separate Republic portrays the mechanics and dynamics of Venetian Jewish self-government. The relations between the Jewish community and the Venetian republic, the balance of power among the community's ethnic groups, and the connection between the wealthy elite and the reins of communal authority, and the relationship of the lay and rabbinic leadership are the major themes of the book. The study is largely based on the Venetian community's sole surviving record book, the Libro Grande. The complete edited and annotated edition of the Libro Grande is included in this volume.