education in the republic of venice 695
on the mainland did not come to pass. in contrast, Jewish boys in Verona
received subsidies enabling them to continue their studies until the age
of 16 or 18.59
a small number of Jews received instruction in the latin classics, plus
logic and philosophy based on aristotle, thus enabling them to study med-
icine in universities. these youths were probably mostly sons of wealthy
families who provided tutors. other ways of assisting these students were
proposed. in 1564 a Jewish scholar from Mantua wanted to establish a
boarding school in Mantua that would teach traditional hebrew biblical
and talmudic studies, as well as the humanistic curriculum, plus logic and
philosophy based on aristotle needed for university studies. he argued
that future Jewish physicians should become acquainted with latin philo-
sophical and scientific material at an early age so that they could obtain
university medical degrees more quickly and “not waste... days and years
in a university among christians in sinful neglect of Jewish studies.”60
contributions from wealthy Jews from across northern italy would sup-
port the boarding school. his idea did not become reality.
the proposed boarding school pointed to a major educational phenom-
enon. at least 350 Jews from all over Europe studied at the university of
padua and obtained medical doctorates there between 1500 and 1800.61
59 howard adelman, “another More nevukhim: the italian background and the
Education program of leon Modena’s More nevukhim bikhtivah bilshonenu hakadosh,”
in Jacob neusner, Ernest S. frerichs, and nahum M. Sarna, eds., From Ancient Israel to
Modern Judaism: Intellect in Quest of Understanding. Essays in Honor of Marvin Fox, 4 vols
(atlanta, 1989), vol. 3: Judaism in the Middle Ages: Philosophers, Hasidism, Messianism in
Modern Times, The Modern Age: Philosophy, pp. 91–98.
60 as translated from the hebrew by Jacob Rader Marcus, The Jew in the Medieval World:
A Source Book: 315–1791, rev. ed., intro., updated biblio. by Marc Saperstein (cincinnati,
1999), pp. 438–46, quote at p. 442.
61 david b. Ruderman, Jewish Thought and Scientific Discovery in Early Modern Europe
(new haven/london, 1995), pp. 100–17, with much additional bibliography. a word of
explanation about how Jews and other non-catholics obtained doctorates during the era
of the counter Reformation is necessary. in 1565 the Venetian state implemented a papal
bull mandating that all graduates profess their catholic faith before receiving degrees from
the college of doctors of arts and medicine of the university of padua. however, in 1616
the Republic created a second college of doctors of arts and medicine, usually called the
collegio Veneto, with the power to award degrees without requiring the oath. in addition,
counts palatine (a hereditary title with certain powers that popes and emperors granted
to learned, and some not-so-learned, men) possessed the power to confer the doctorate
without requiring a profession of faith both before and after 1565. hence, many counts
palatine, some of them Jews, were available to confer degrees. Moreover, both collegio
Veneto and count palatine doctorates were less expensive than the traditional doctorate,
making them even more popular. for more information and bibliography, see Grendler,
Universities, pp. 180–86, 506–08.