Community and identity in the interwar 'Shtetl'

A shtetl was a form of settlement based on a market that served as a contact point between the Jewish majority and a gentile hinterland. The market day and the Sabbath were the two main events of the week, and the relationship with the gentiles was complimentary rather than competitive. Social tensions and conflicts were a constant feature of shtetl life, and these conflicts often became quite bitter. The shtetl developed institutions that counter balanced traditional prejudices and provided the community with social flexibility