Once the Jews arrived in the Ghetto in 1571, the Medici provided them with a reasonable amount of freedom to manage their own political affairs. There were two magistrates that were in charge of overseeing all of these affairs inside the Ghetto: The Nine Preservers of the Florentine Dominion and Jurisdiction and The Eight Magistrates for the Protection and Supervision of the City of Florence. Within the Ghetto, only a limited number of men were given the freedom to represent themselves in the political sphere, by attending meetings, being allowed to vote, and being given the ability to hold positions in office. However, for the majority of men and women were not given these types of political representation in the Ghetto or beyond. The chosen people that were given the right to political representation within the Florentine Ghetto had the job of acting as spokesmen for the rest of the Ghetto community that had no voice.
