AcknowledgmentsIntroduction – Mirjam Knotter and Gary SchwartzJews and Judaism in Rembrandt’s Own WorldSephardi Jewish Life and Material Culture in Rembrandt’s Time – Mirjam KnotterRembrandt and His (Jewish) Neighbors. A Stroll Through the Neighborhood – Mirjam KnotterRembrandt’s Other Jews. The Amsterdam Ashkenazim in the Seventeenth Century – Bart WalletMap with residents and owners of houses in and around the Jodenbreestraat in Rembrandt’s time (ca. 1625–1658) – Mirjam Knotter and Guido LeguitSociety, Spirituality, ImageryJews and Black People in Rembrandt’s Art – Michael ZellRembrandt, Menasseh ben Israel and Spinoza – Steven NadlerRembrandt, the Jews and Judaism – Shelley PerloveJewish Brides, Rabbis and Sitters in Rembrandt’s Prints – Roman GrigoryevJewish ArtistsModern Jewish Artists Discover Rembrandt – Larry SilverLaying it on Thick: British (Immigrant) Artists and their Rembrandt – Simon SchamaRembrandt and Russian Jewish Artists – Nina GetashviliJewish Collectors and MuseumsRembrandt as Seen by Jewish Museums – Laurence Sigal-Klagsbald Jewish Collectors Take Rembrandt to their Hearts – Gary SchwartzAbout the AuthorsBibliographyIndexThe earliest painting by Rembrandt whose owner is documented depicts the prophet Balaam, on his way to blessing Israel. The man who bought it was a Sephardi Jew in the service of Cardinal Richelieu of France. The first known buyer of an etching plate by Rembrandt, depicting Abraham Dismissing Hagar and Ishmael, was a Sephardi Jew of Amsterdam. Seen through their eyes, Rembrandt was the creator of images with a special meaning to Jews. They have been followed through the centuries by Jewish collectors, Jewish art historians, Jewish artists who saw their own deepest concerns modelled in his art and life, and even prominent rabbis, one of whom said that Rembrandt was a Tzadik, a holy man blessed by God. This book is the first study in depth of the potent bond between Rembrandt and Jews, from his time to ours, a bond that has penetrated the image of the artist and the people alike.