The Jews

During the 1600 years that the Holy Roman Church represented Christianity throughout Europe, most people were illiterate with three exceptions, the priest, the nobility and the Jews. Jewish families taught their sons to read and write so they could read the holy books. Also, during these years, the Holy Roman Catholic Church historically banned the lending of money at interest (known as usury) for centuries, considering it a mortal sin and contrary to charity and justice. This meant that in the communities only the Jews could read and write and only the Jews could lend money, so by necessity they became the bankers. As the Jewish families prospered others felt it was unfair and this led to a dislike for the Jews. In the US this dislike was seen in many areas, one in particular was medicine. Jewish doctors faced significant discrimination and were largely kept out of staff positions at many non-Jewish hospitals in the early 1900s, particularly in the US and Europe. Anti-Semitic quotas, which restricted entry to medical schools and hospital training programs, were common from the 1920s to the 1960s, leading to the creation of Jewish hospitals to provide both care and employment opportunities. The Jews responded in typical Jewish fashion by building their own hospitals where all doctors are welcome. Historically and currently, many hospitals founded by the Jewish community—often established to serve immigrant populations and train Jewish doctors facing discrimination—are ranked among the best in the world