Osnat and her dove : the true story of the world's first female Rabbi

by Sigal Samuel

Other authorsVali Mintzi (Illustrator)

Paper Book, 2021

Status

Available

Call number

J 296.092 SAM

Genres

Nonfiction

Collection

Your library

Publication

Levine Querido (2021), Edition: Illustrated, 40 pages

Description

Osnat, the world's first female rabbi, was born almost five hundred years ago, during a time when few girls were allowed to read. Her father was a great scholar whose house was filled with books, and she convinced him to teach her. She grew up to teach others, becoming a wise and famous scholar in her own right. -- adapted from inside front jacket flap and Amazon.com.

User reviews

LibraryThing member melodyreads

Truly wonderful story!!

1 more

LibraryThing member nbmars

This is the story for young children of the first female rabbi, born in Mosul (in modern-day Iraq) in 1590. Her father was a rabbi who built a yeshiva to teach Jewish law, and allowed his curious daughter to learn as well. When Osnat grew up, her father told her she would soon need to be married,

but she objected: “If I have a husband, he’ll expect me to do chores, and I won’t have any time for Torah study!” Her father agreed it would be a waste of her mind, and told all suitors they would have to excuse Osnat from doing chores to marry her. Most refused. But one man, Jacob, agreed, and they married.

When her father died, Jacob tried to take over the yeshiva but couldn’t keep up. Osnat began to teach the students as well. When Jacob passed away, Osnat took over the whole yeshiva. The men called her Tanna’it, a title given only to the most respected teachers. They also believed she performed miracles.

In an afterword, the author reports that a few of her writings have been preserved, and that she is still remembered locally as the first female rabbi and the first female Kurdish Jewish leader.

Colorful illustrations by Vali Mintzi evoke classical painters like Chagall.

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