The economic opportunities open to Jews of Eastern Europe over their history were limited by non-Jewish society—largely through legislation. Thus, in order to understand Jewish economic life, it is important to have a clear picture of the laws and regulations imposed by non-Jewish society. These were never monolithic and were often extremely complex. Consequently, economic success for Jews was often a result of the ability to maneuver between different—and sometimes contradictory—regulations in order to achieve their goals.
