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better liked as a result , contact with them became closer and more intensive , in the city and the village , in the center and in the periphery . Although various prohibitions still applied to the Jews and humiliating taxes were imposed on them , the idea that improving their standing would be beneficial was now shared by many . At the same time , the Jews , mainly within the new urban centers , became an important part of the bourgeoisie that came into being in that period . Both Jewish and general historiography always tended to emphasize the process of the Jewish “ entry ” into bourgeois society . This process was perceived as part of the integration of the Jews into their surroundings and as an important aspect of their assimilation . In many places , however , mainly in Central and Eastern Europe , this “ entry ” occurred at the very same time that the bourgeoisie came into being , articulated its values , and shaped its way of life . The Jews did not only passively absorb these ...
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