▁pros ely t ize ▁to ▁Christians . ▁These ▁peace ful ▁relations ▁would ▁end ▁with ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁First ▁Cr us ade ▁and ▁thousands ▁of ▁Jews ▁in ▁communities ▁all ▁along ▁the ▁Rh ine ▁were ▁attacked ▁and ▁killed ▁under ▁the ▁pres umption ▁that ▁if ▁they ▁were ▁going ▁to ▁attack ▁enemies ▁of ▁the ▁Christ ▁in ▁Jerusalem , ▁they ▁should ▁attack ▁Christ ' s ▁enemies ▁around ▁them ▁in ▁Germany , ▁us her ing ▁in ▁a ▁last ing ▁anti - sem it ism ▁that ▁included ▁pog rom s , ▁blood ▁lib el , ▁and ▁being ▁bl amed ▁as ▁the ▁cause ▁of ▁cat ast roph es ▁like ▁the ▁Black ▁Death ▁and ▁the ▁Mong ol ▁invasion ▁of ▁Europe . ▁Despite ▁those ▁difficulties , ▁German ▁Jews ▁continued ▁to ▁practice , ▁ref ine , ▁and ▁evol ve ▁their ▁religious ▁and ▁social ▁custom s , ▁including ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁Y idd ish ▁language ▁and ▁an ▁identity ▁as ▁Ash ken azi ▁Jews . ▁They ▁eventually ▁established ▁a ▁uniqu ely ▁Jewish ▁occupation , ▁working ▁as ▁Court ▁Jews ▁within ▁the ▁Holy ▁Roman ▁Empire . ▁ ▁Church ▁laws ▁in ▁the ▁Early ▁Middle ▁A ges ▁Con versions ▁of ▁Jews ▁to ▁Christian ity , ▁whether ▁forced ▁or ▁volunt ary , ▁during ▁the ▁medieval ▁period ▁were ▁an ▁integral ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁life ▁of ▁Jewish ▁communities ▁in ▁the ▁medieval ▁period . ▁The ▁press ures ▁to ▁convert , ▁other ▁than ▁comp uls ory ▁bapt ism ▁to ▁save ▁one ' s ▁life , ▁could ▁be ▁the ological , ▁economic ▁and ▁intellectual . ▁Vol unt ary ▁conversion ▁by ▁such ▁ren eg ades