▁of ▁values ▁and ▁ideas ▁that ▁completely ▁opposed ▁the ▁previous ▁Med ieval ▁age . ▁It ▁str essed ▁logic ▁and ▁the ▁importance ▁of ▁thinking ▁for ▁ones elf , ▁instead ▁of ▁blind ly ▁following ▁tradition ▁or ▁pre jud ice ▁— ▁a ▁huge ▁bo on ▁for ▁the ▁Jews . ▁The ▁En light ened ▁Mon arch ▁was ▁an ▁important ▁product ▁of ▁the ▁era ; ▁he ▁or ▁she ▁stro ve ▁to ▁create ▁a ▁cult ured , ▁modern ▁state ▁populated ▁by ▁effective ▁subjects , ▁and ▁often ▁began ▁the ▁journey ▁to ▁this ▁state ▁by ▁impro ving ▁the ▁living ▁conditions ▁of ▁the ▁poor ▁and ▁minor ities , ▁which ▁included ▁Jews ▁in ▁most ▁countries . ▁The ▁monarch s ▁tried ▁to ▁include ▁their ▁Jewish ▁subjects ▁in ▁main stream ▁society , ▁reducing ▁restrictions ▁and ▁passing ▁more ▁general ▁laws ▁that ▁applied ▁to ▁all , ▁regardless ▁of ▁religion . ▁ ▁A ▁Jewish ▁En light en ment ▁occurred ▁alongside ▁the ▁bro ader ▁European ▁one , ▁originally ▁appearing ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁eigh teenth ▁century . ▁Kn own ▁as ▁H ask al ah , ▁it ▁would ▁re - emer ge ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 2 0 s ▁and ▁last ed ▁for ▁the ▁better ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁century . ▁A ▁form ▁of ▁" crit ical ▁rational ism " ▁inspired ▁by ▁the ▁European ▁En light en ment , ▁H ask al ah ▁focused ▁on ▁reform ▁in ▁two ▁specific ▁areas : ▁stim ulating ▁an ▁internal ▁reb irth ▁of ▁culture , ▁and ▁better ▁prepar ing ▁and ▁training ▁Jews ▁to ▁exist ▁in ▁a ▁christ oc ent ric ▁world . ▁It ▁did ▁not