The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-10-07
Jewish Women.

We find learned rabbinical women
from as far back as the eleventh cen.dry
to the present time; we will freshen our
memories with the names of a few of
these.
The wife of the rabbi and State min
lister, Joseph Ibn Nagdila, is recorded
as a virtuous and learned women. She,
the daughter of a poor rabbi, r. Nissim
of Caiiwan, won, with the superior en-.
dowments of her mind, the hand of the
richest and most esteemed MAI in Gren-
ada; she won his hand but never his
heart; her married life was not a happy
one. When not older than 80 years
she was widowed. Her husband, hurl-
ed from the heights of his position, was
crucifed at the gates of Grenada, De-
cember 80, 1906. Only with difficulty
did she succeed in saving her own life.
With her only son she fled to Lucena,
where, because of her great learnirg,sh
was welcomed by all, and where she was
honolably sustained by the jewish com
munity until her death. The death of
her son-to whom was given a rabbinical
education - occurred before hers in his
early youth.
FL Mualllma, the learned, was the
name of the wife of that Ibn Altarar
who transplanted the Karaite teaching,
which was %contending against rabbin-
ism, to CASTLE, and who there sought to
gain for it an adherence among the rab-
bis. After his death, 1925, his wife
carried on his work. She was SO learn
ed that she passed as a theological ALL
thority among the believers of KARAT
ism; they depended upon her for the
Karaite traditions, and one was wont to
inquire of the other, how this or that
was explained by the "Muallima.'
The only daughter of the renowned
Castiliian, Jewish author, Abdu-hassan
Jehuda Halevi, is celebrated as an au-
thoress. She is said to have written an
elegy which is to be found in he fathers
"Divan,' and which bears the ~acrostic
of Bath Levi Lewis daughter.)
In France, too, we find a number of
richly gifted m We begin in Or
leans: Bellette, sister Of r. Isaac Ben
Menachem, who was known as Talmud-
ical authority, and who lived in the mid
die of the eleventh century, anu Hanna,
sister of r. Jacob, of Orleans, who was
killed II London on the coronation day
of Richard l., of England. Bellette,
commissioned bv her brother, instructed
the women Of her native city in their
religious duties; Hanna instructed her
sisters in the faith with regard IL tEe
blessing spoken at the lighting of the
Sabbath candles.
\ number of learned women are nam.
ed to us in the family of Salomcn ben
Isaac, or Rashi, known as a commenta-
tor OF the Bible and the Talmud, of Troy,
Champagne.
Rachel, called Belleleune, Rashi's
daughter was well educated. She did
not live happily with her husband, Ellie
ser, and obtained a divorce from him.
Miriam, Rashi's granddaughter,
daughter of II. Jehuda ben Nathan, was
SO familiar with the Jewish law, that
questions which were connected with
cooking and bakery We're left to her de-
%cision, and she was cited by rabbinical
authorities as a credible source.
Anna, another granddaughter of
Rashi, daughter Of Il. Meir, of Eamerue,
like Billette, instructed women in their
religious duties.
In the first part Of the fourteenth
century, we find the mother Of the
French chief rabbi, Mathatias, num-
bered among his pupils, and WIS highly
thought of by Charles V. Hi mother
was, as Zunz expresses it. almost a fe-
male rabbi. The learned Rabbi Simon
ben Zemach Duran, of Algier, speaks
of her in the highest terms and substan-
tiates her assertion that the ~insructing
teacher and not the questioning scholar
must express himself with all definite
ness and precision.
Rome was the home Ct Raula die
Mansi, the daughter OF jacob Hasso-
pher (the copyist), and the wife of ia
chiel ben Solomon. Nersed i; the He
brew language and possessing consider
able rabbinical knowledge, she Supported
her father in his works. In l2SS she
copied two commentaries of the Bible so
neatly and correctly that the h,ndwlit-
ing is worthy of especial rraie, even
to-day. And on Wednesday, tie second
of Nissan March, l293), she finished in
Just as admirable a manner tw, quarto
IL = IL 81 ~ - -.