Description
Book SynopsisOne picture that often comes to mind when one thinks of Torah study is a group of bearded men clad in long black coats and hats huddled around a table piled high with texts. Women do not appear in this image; if anywhere, they are in the kitchen preparing a meal, keeping the children from disturbing their fathers, or working to support the family so that their husbands can devote their energies to learning. Such is a common view as to the role of women in Torah study. In And All Your Children Shall Be Learned: Women and the Study of Torah in Jewish Law and History, Shoshana Pantel Zolty helps dispel this myth. Through an analysis of halakhic literature, the Mishnah, the Talmud, and other classical texts, as well as Jewish and general world history, Zolty explores the evolution of Jewish education for women. In each period, from biblical times through to the twentieth century, we find exceptional women, usually of rabbinic families, some of whom are cited as authorities in certain are