Gluckel of Hameln The Identity of Jewish Women Essay

Women had important roles in seventeenth century Eastern Europe; they were mothers, wives, and businesswomen. They cooked meals, cleaned houses, and educated children. In addition to the domestic roles women played in society, they also played roles in the trade and commerce. Gluckel of Hameln authored one of the earliest-known Jewish memoirs detailing the rise and fall of her own fortunes (Schachter.) She had great judgment for business transactions, and when she was widowed at age 54 she took over her husband’s business to ensure her children’s future. In her memoir, Gluckel describes her marriage as a business partnership, boasting that her husband would turn only to her for business advice. Jewish women of Eastern Europe were far more†¦show more content†¦Gluckel died on September 19, 1724 (Turniansky). The themes of the book â€Å"Memiors of Gluckel of Hameln† showed how family was important to the common Jew in Eastern Europe. Gluckel told her children about their relatives, from their grandparents to their great aunt’s second cousin, because in Jewish society it was especially important to know and respect one’s elders and ancestors. Gluckel wanted to be sure that her children knew â€Å"from what sort of people you have sprung, lest today or tomorrow your beloved children and grandchildren come and know naught of their family† (Hameln [32].) To make sure that her descendants would not be ashamed of their ancestors, she spent much of her time looking for respectable matches for her children. In the situation of Gluckel’s own family, she spoke fondly about her parent’s partnership: prior to the marriage, Gluckel’s mother’s family was destitute since Gluckel’s grandfather died from the plague. Gluckel’s father b rought in The whole mother’s family and treated Gluckel’s grandmother like his own, showing the importance of respecting elderly family. â€Å"Immediately upon his marriage with my mother, my father brought my grandmother into his house and placed her at the head of the table. He provided for her for the rest of her life†¦and honoured her as though she were his own mother† (Hameln [19].) In Jewish society, religion isShow MoreRelatedGluckel of Hameln’s Memoirs1010 Words   |  5 PagesGluckel of Hameln’s memoirs Gluckel of Hameln was a Jewish woman from Hamburg who lived in the seventeenth century. She wrote her lengthy memoirs in Yiddish. Her memoir is regarded to be one of the most important documents for European Jewish history written by a Jewish woman. The diary or the memoirs are addressed to her fourteen children. In 1690, Gluckel became a widow after the death of her husband and the memoirs were a therapeutic way to heal her wounded heart. The diary was used to take