sec ution . ▁The ▁descend ants ▁of ▁the ▁surv iv ors ▁of ▁this ▁period , ▁the ▁Ash ken azi ▁Jews , ▁still ▁comm emor ate ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁more ▁memor able ▁tra ged ies ▁of ▁this ▁period ▁in ▁their ▁lit ur gy . ▁ ▁Their ▁fate ▁in ▁each ▁particular ▁country ▁dep ended ▁on ▁the ▁changing ▁political ▁conditions . ▁In ▁Italy ▁( see ▁History ▁of ▁the ▁Jews ▁in ▁Italy ) ▁they ▁experienced ▁difficult ▁days ▁during ▁the ▁wars ▁w aged ▁by ▁the ▁Her uli , ▁R ug ii , ▁Ost rog oth s , ▁and ▁Lomb ards . ▁The ▁severe ▁laws ▁of ▁the ▁Roman ▁em per ors ▁were , ▁in ▁general , ▁more ▁m ild ly ▁admin ister ed ▁than ▁elsewhere ; ▁the ▁A rian ▁conf ession , ▁of ▁which ▁the ▁German ic ▁conquer ors ▁of ▁Italy ▁were ▁ad her ents , ▁was ▁character ized ▁by ▁its ▁toler ance . ▁ ▁In ▁other ▁parts ▁of ▁western ▁Europe , ▁Jews ▁who ▁wished ▁to ▁remain ▁true ▁to ▁the ▁faith ▁of ▁their ▁f athers ▁were ▁protected ▁by ▁the ▁Church ▁itself ▁from ▁comp uls ory ▁conversion . ▁There ▁was ▁no ▁change ▁in ▁this ▁policy ▁even ▁later , ▁when ▁the ▁Pope ▁called ▁for ▁the ▁support ▁of ▁the ▁Carol ing ians ▁in ▁protect ing ▁his ▁ideal ▁kingdom ▁with ▁their ▁temporal ▁power . ▁Char lemagne , ▁moreover , ▁was ▁glad ▁to ▁use ▁the ▁Church ▁for ▁the ▁purpose ▁of ▁w eld ing ▁together ▁the ▁lo os ely ▁connected ▁elements ▁of ▁his ▁kingdom ▁when ▁he ▁transformed ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁old ▁Roman ▁emp ire ▁into