The Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women

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Avraham Grossman

Avraham Grossman is professor of Jewish history at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, a member of the Israel National Academy of Sciences and recipient of the prestigious Israel Prize and Bialik Prize for Jewish Studies.

Grossman is the author of five books, including Pious and Rebellious: Jewish Women in Medieval Europe (2004).

Articles by this author

Rashi

The medieval commentator Rashi, through his commentary and halakhic works, was an advocate for improving the status of women, introducing innovative exegesis to support his views. His followers, the Tosafists, would continue to innovate and support Jewish women.

A print of an Ashkenazi Dutch wedding ceremony.

Halakhic Decisions on Family Matters in Medieval Jewish Society

Across the medieval Jewish world, rabbis used takkanot (rabbinic decrees) to address urgent needs in family life among their Jewish communities. These takkanot are key historical sources for understanding the changing roles of women in the medieval Jewish world.