Habit of a Polish Jew in 1768

by Thomas Jefferys

This intriguing engraving from the mid-eighteenth century was produced by the celebrated geographer Thomas Jefferys, and provides an extremely rare glimpse into the traditional costume of a Jewish individual living in Poland towards the end of the 1760s. This engraving was part of the larger series of engravings commissioned by Jefferys entitled the "Habits of All Nations." In this particular work, we are able to see how the Jews in Poland were culturally and religiously distinct from other groups of people based on their own clothing style.

Here, the Jewish man is wearing a long coat called a kaftan, along with a fur-lined hat. This image provides us with a fascinating look at the traditional clothing of Eastern Europe in conjunction with religious practices.