A Jewish presence was established along the Rhine from the 4th century. During the tenth century, Talmudic centers multiply and spirits rise. In Mainz, Rabbi Gershom ben Judah (960-1040), founder of Talmudic studies in France and Germany, called “light of Exile”, conceptualizes a Yeshiva and initiates one of the most influential intellectual movements in European Judaism . Locked in the Ghettos, they find the strength to elevate themselves spiritually and redouble their diligence in the study of Torah.

This exclusion from society also gives rise to a language: Yiddish.