Final answer:
Jews in Europe were often restricted from certain occupations, leading them to become associated with money lending because Christians were banned from the practice.
Step-by-step explanation:
Throughout history, the Jewish community often faced restrictions on the types of occupations they could pursue. In Medieval Europe, and particularly during the era when anti-Semitic attitudes were widespread, Jews were generally prohibited from owning land or engaging in many types of professions.
This led to a situation where many Jews were limited to certain occupations such as peddling goods, lending money, and sharecropping, due to Christians being banned from lending money at interest until the late Middle Ages. The occupation most associated with Jewish communities, due to these restrictions, was money lending, a result of Christians being barred from the practice, leading to stereotypical views of Jewish individuals.