Autonomy in poland' Lithuania and the Ottoman Empire communities
A Safe Haven Owing to the opportunities that opened up for Jews in the territories located in Poland and Lithuania, their emigration to those regions continued over a long period of time and increased following the expulsions from Western Europe in the late Middle Ages. Similar to the other groups who lived in the kingdom, the Jews enjoyed widespread internal autonomy. Although the Council of Four Lands, whose formation began in the 16th century, was established in order to facilitate the collective taxation of the Jews, in practice it enabled the Jews to manage their communities and underscored their autonomous status.
The Jews living in the Ottoman Empire were a heterogeneous and highly diverse assemblage of Jews. The Empire was a melting pot of ethnic groups who had come from different countries. Most Jews could live wherever they chose, observe their Judaism, organize their communities and engage in a wide range of occupations.