Christian servants employed by Jews in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries

With a few exceptions, employment of Christians by Jews as servants was the only way in which it was possible for Christians to obtain close and intimate contact with Jews, their way of life, language, religion, and culture. It allowed for interpersonal exchange, and even personal sympathy, well beyond business relations. It is clear that such contacts with Christian servants also made it possible for Jews to make better acquaintanceships with Christians and the nuances of their culture, though on a limited scale since these Christians were disconnected from their natural background and lifestyle.