Before the mid-fifteenth century, the Christian and Islamic governments of Europe had restricted the architecture and design of synagogues and often prevented Jews from becoming architects. Stiefel presents a study of the material culture and religious architecture that this era produced.

Acknowledgements, List of Figures and Tables, Preface, Introduction, 1. Medieval versus Early Modern Synagogues, 2. Jews, Synagogues and Compulsory Urban Consolidation at the Dawn of the Early Modern Period, 3. Urbanization and Jewish Public Space: The First Great Synagogues, 4. Readmission and Colonial Frontiers: New Synagogues in Lands of Tolerance, 5. Jews and Early Modern Cultural Exchanges: Cross-Pollination and its Effects on Synagogue Design, 6. Lavishing the House of Assembly: Synagogues, Global Trade and Exotic Ornamentation, Conclusion: From Early Modern to Modern: Synagogues in Transition, Glossary, Notes, Works Cited, Index