Princess or Prisoner?: (Tauber Institute Series for the Study of European Jewry & HBI Series on Jewish Women)

This is a fascinating journey into the world of women in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community of Jerusalem toward the end of Ottoman rule in the Holy Land. Until now, the story of life in the Land of Israel in this period has been told exclusively from the male viewpoint-a story of religious observance and fulfillment confined to the male world of Torah study and prayer. Margalit Shilo sheds new light on female society of the time, a subject nearly untouched by historians. Through painstaking research, Shilo has unearthed a wealth of primary sources, including women's memoirs, letters, and the contemporary Jewish press. The author weaves together the different threads that made up the world of ultra-Orthodox women in Jerusalem: the experience of immigration to the Land of Israel, marriage, the family unit, economic and philanthropic activities, and female scholarship. She also takes a hard look at the adversities of women's lives, such as desertion, poverty and prostitution. By revealing the unheard, unseen female voice, Shilo paints a new and lively picture of Jewish society in Jerusalem around the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

About the Author :
Margalit Shilo is a professor in the Land of Israel Studies Department, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel. This book was first published in Hebrew by Haifa University Press and was awarded the Ya'acov Bahat Prize for "Outstanding Academic Books" in 2000 by Haifa University.

Review :
"[A] comprehensive study . . . extremely rich in its depth and sheds new and more varied light on the life of the Jerusalemite Jewish community as a whole. It is an important contribution to the study of Judaism, gender, and Jerusalem."-- "American Historical Review" (4/7/2006 12:00:00 AM) "Any Jewish woman (or man) who travels to Israel nowadays should choose this book as a travel companion to familiarize herself or himself with the struggle and hardships that previous generations had to endure."-- "The Jewish Press" (4/7/2006 12:00:00 AM) "Margalit Shilo . . . a leading scholar of women's studies in Israel, opens up for the reader the world of Orthodox women in Jerusalem towards the end of Ottoman rule . . . giv[ing] us a rich and detailed picture . . . Through this book, both erudite and exciting, the reader learns about the unique quality of life in Jerusalem in this period, and how Jerusalem provided women with a special arena for a life of holiness."-- "JOFA" "Shilo writes movingly. . .Although it is academic in style, this work is absorbing reading."-- "Jewish Book World" American Historical Review" Jewish Book World" JOFA" The Jewish Press" "ÝA¨ comprehensive study . . . extremely rich in its depth and sheds new and more varied light on the life of the Jerusalemite Jewish community as a whole. It is an important contribution to the study of Judaism, gender, and Jerusalem." --American Historical Review [A] comprehensive study . . . extremely rich in its depth and sheds new and more varied light on the life of the Jerusalemite Jewish community as a whole. It is an important contribution to the study of Judaism, gender, and Jerusalem. American Historical Review" Shilo writes movingly. . .Although it is academic in style, this work is absorbing reading. Jewish Book World" Any Jewish woman (or man) who travels to Israel nowadays should choose this book as a travel companion to familiarize herself or himself with the struggle and hardships that previous generations had to endure. The Jewish Press" Margalit Shilo . . . a leading scholar of women's studies in Israel, opens up for the reader the world of Orthodox women in Jerusalem towards the end of Ottoman rule . . . giv[ing] us a rich and detailed picture . . . Through this book, both erudite and exciting, the reader learns about the unique quality of life in Jerusalem in this period, and how Jerusalem provided women with a special arena for a life of holiness. JOFA"