Shlomtzyion Hamalka
Women of Importance

Alexander Yannai was one of the worst villains in Jewish history, but his wife Shlomtziyon is one of its greatest heroines. Rabbi Wein details the political intrigue of the Hasmonean dynasty, showing how Shlomtziyon’s commitment to righting her husband’s wrongs preserved the Torah and the Jewish people for generations to come.

• parallels to Esther HaMalkah
• the descent of the Hasmoneans: from the Maccabees to political corruption
• Alexander Yannai’s slaughter of the rabbis
• prophecy versus good sense