Item Description:

Feminists may charge that Jewish women lack power, but a look at Jewish history proves otherwise. Dona Gracia, Sarah Schnierer, and Aidel, daughter of the Baal Shem Tov, were indeed exceptional, but in assuming the mantle of leadership, each shaped the Jewish world with a feminine and caring touch. With these riveting biographies, Rabbi Wein sheds light on the lives and achievements of three women of vision.

Individual lectures:

Dona Gracia Beatrice Mendez - The “superwoman” of the 16th century, Dona Gracia was as high-powered as she was charitable, an international bank manager who was the “go to” person for saving Jews in the Inquisition. Rabbi Wein details her extraordinary life, a story so dramatic and inspiring, it’s a Hollywood scriptwriter’s dream.

Sarah Schnierer - That an unassuming seamstress could bring about the greatest educational revolution in Jewish history defies all logic. That the Bais Yaakov schools thrived and grew despite the lure of secular ideologies makes her accomplishment even more astounding. But Sarah Schenirer was a visionary who saw that formal Jewish education for women was the only way to secure the spiritual future of the Jewish people. With excerpts from her diary and her last letter to her students, Rabbi Wein paints a moving portrait of this quiet powerhouse.

Rebbetzin Aidel, daughter of the Baal Shem Tov - Little is known about Aidel, daughter of the Baal Shem Tov, but after her father’s death, she became a “female rebbe.” Like Bruria who taught Torah in Talmudic times, Aidel sat behind a screen while giving blessings and advice to the public. Chassidus turned Eastern European Jewry upside-down in many ways, but Aidel’s eminence was perhaps the most earth-shattering of all.