A man would be accused of allowing his wife to light the candles and of eating the food she prepared. Under the constant gaze of servants, who could turn at the slightest grievance into informants, women had to devise ingenious ways to observe Jewish traditions discreetly. One woman, who didn't want to be seen changing her dishes for Passover, surreptitiously dropped and broke a dish in her home every few days over a period of weeks, each time sending her servant out to buy one to replace it. Thus she accumulated a new set of dishes which she could now use for the holiday. Women assumed more power because of the circumstances.
Some people theorize that women are more faithful to religion.
I don't know. They understood that it was just going to dissipate unless someone carried it on. They talked to their children about the Law of Moses and about salvation. The traditions were passed on for generations. Shoshana London Sappir is a writer living in Jerusalem.