How was ghetto life in the 11th century?

Answer 1

Venetian Ghetto

The Venetian Ghetto, which is actually where the term comes from, is emblematic of ghettos worked. The areas where Jews were allowed to live were walled off from the rest of Canareggio district in Venice. There were height restrictions on buildings as well, leading to general overcrowding and lack of sanitation. These ghettos were ruled autonomously by two major community pillars: the Rabbis at the Beit Din or Courthouse and the Kahal or Board of Trustees.

The Rabbi and Beit Din (which would have several Rabbis serving as judges) would be the moral leadership of the community and would represent the community to the Gentile authorities as a singular leader. He was also the judge or arbitrator for legal disputes and religious disputes within the community. The Kahal was appointed by some of the wealthier Jewish families and was composed entirely of Jewish laity. Gentile Authorities permitted the Kahal to maintain Law and Order within the ghetto on a more practical level. Among the Kahal's duties was to collect taxes both on their own behalf (to maintain local police, feed the rabbi, etc.) and on behalf of the Gentile sovereign. The Kahal would then present a representative of the Gentile Sovereign, like a tax collector, the fees for the entire Jewish community.

Moroccan Mellah

In Morocco, Jewish Quarters were called "Mellah", but the term "quarter" is misleading since the area was surrounded by a wall with a fortified gateway, with a curfew at 21:00 every night. Usually, the Jewish quarter was situated near the royal palace or the residence of the governor, in order to protect its inhabitants from recurring riots since its inhabitants played a vital role in the local economy. The division of authority was similar to the Venetian ghetto, although Rabbis played a more direct administrative role in Morocco than they would in Venice and the Kahal was correspondingly weaker.