ABSTRACT
The history of the Jews in Italy is also emblematic regarding the condition and the role of women. Both on the symbolic and religious level – by tradition it was the maternal line that determined the Jewishness of children – as well as on the economic level – the dowry system was essential for the family finances and the preservation of family wealth – the situation of Jewish women was considerably better than that of their Christian counterparts. Marriages were strongly endogamic, and there was the institution of divorce, not only suffered but also acted upon by women. Women had access to the assets of their dowry and were free to write their own wills after a divorce or being widowed. Once left single, they exercised the role of caretaker of the children as holders of patria potestas, and continued to manage the business activities of the late husband, including lending banks. Women were also important actors in the realm of religious practices and rituals – in particular in the case of marranism – where they were educated to play an essential role in the transmission and preservation of Jewish identity and the original faith.
