The English translation of Yitzhak Baer's masterwork on Spanish Jewish history opens crucial new dialogues about medieval Jewish life while challenging persistent myths about the so-called "Golden Age." As the only comprehensive analysis of an entire medieval European Jewish community based on extensive archival research, Baer's work fundamentally reshapes our understanding of Spanish Jewry's trajectory. His meticulous examination of documentary sources reveals how catastrophic elements were woven into the community's fabric from its earliest days - particularly through its precarious dependence on royal protection and a narrow aristocratic leadership rather than broader social integration. Though Spanish Jewish leaders displayed remarkable abilities, they ultimately failed to recognize the forces leading to their community's destruction, lacking the historical perspective to see beyond immediate circumstances. This blindness holds vital lessons for modern Jewish historiography, as contemporary scholars and communities continue drawing problematic parallels between medieval Spain and present-day American Jewish life. Rather than indulging in such superficial analogies, Yerushalmi argues for a historically-grounded analysis of Jewish existence that prioritizes objective assessment of social and political realities over quasi-theological interpretations of historical experience.