The present volume vividly depicts the fifteenth and sixteenth century Rabbinate in Italy representing an important chain of Jewish leadership in the Diaspora. Based predominantly on unpublished manuscript material the present volume discusses: Ordination for the Rabbinate Public non-rabinnic appointments. The Rabbi’s status in the community’s social hierarchy, The Rabbi’s role in legal procedures Community and Social Institutions of Italian Jewry First published by the Magnes Press in 1979, the book is presently republished by The Schocken Institute of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, The Bialik Institute and The Schechter Institute for Jewish Studies. Author Information Robert Bonfil is Professor of Jewish History at The Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He is the author of Jewish Life in Renaissance Italy and numerous articles on the history of Italian Jewry. 327 pages, with indexes.