Rashi's Daughters, Book II: Miriam

Table of Contents

 

 

 

 

RASHI’S DAUGHTERS BOOK II: MIRIAM

MAGGIE ANTON was born Margaret Antonofsky in Los Angeles, California. Raised in a secular, socialist household, she reached adulthood with little knowledge of the Jewish religion. All that changed when Dave Parkhurst entered her life, and they discovered Judaism as adults. That was the start of a lifetime of adult Jewish education, synagogue involvement, and ritual observance. This was in addition to raising their children, Emily and Ari, and working full time as a clinical chemist.

In 1997, as her nest was emptying and her mother was declining with Alzheimer’s disease, she became intrigued with the idea that Rashi, one of Judaism’s greatest scholars, had no sons, only three daughters. Using techniques developed while doing her family’s genealogy, she began to research Rashi’s family, and the idea of a book about them was born.

Eight years later, the first volume of
Rashi’s Daughters
was finally complete, making Maggie Anton a Talmud maven and an authority on medieval French Jewish women. She retired from the lab and spent the next two years researching and writing
Book II: Miriam
, in addition to lecturing at over a hundred synagogues, JCC’s, and Jewish women’s organizations.

Maggie lives in Glendale, California, with Dave, her husband of thirty-six years, where she is working on
Rashi’s Daughters, Book III: Rachel
, as well as a translation of
Machzor Vitry
. You can follow her blog and contact her at her website,
www.rashisdaughters.com
.

“Rashi and his extended family become real people with very familiar challenges and triumphs—difficulty in childbirth, the place of educated women in a society not used to that, and the sacred quest for Jewish learning coupled with the need to earn a living. Well researched and absolutely intriguing to read ... what a wonderful story this is!”

—Rabbi Elliot N. Dorff, Rector and Distinguished Professor of Philosophy,
American Jewish University (formerly the University of Judaism), Los Angeles

 

“
Miriam
gives us a fascinating glimpse into the world of Jewish women long ago. A wonderful read!”

—Rabbi Elyse Goldstein, author of
ReVisions:
Seeing Torah Through a Feminist Lens

 

“Once again, Maggie Anton has delighted us with an engrossing story of the family and the circle of students around Rashi, the medieval commentator on the Bible and Talmud.
Miriam
is a sensitive portrayal of a complex young woman, a conscientious midwife and healer, who strives for learning, love, and inner contentment. This unique historical novel acquaints the reader with a variety of distinctive men and women who reflect upon and struggle with the powerful forces within and outside of them.”

—Jody Myers, Professor of the Department of Religious Studies, Coordinator
of the Jewish Studies Program, California State University, Northridge

 

“Who knew that traditional Jewish life in medieval France could be so bound up in physical desire? In this compelling and well-researched historical novel, Anton shows us the love, family, sex, and death that made up the daily lives of those surrounding the greatest rabbinic commentator in history. This creative reading of the life of Rashi’s second daughter, Miriam, suggests that gender, sex, and sexuality were as complicated then as they are now.”

—David Shneer, Director of the Center for Judaic Studies,
Associate Professor of History, University of Denver

PLUME

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First published by Plume, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

Copyright © Maggie Anton, 2007

All rights reserved
Map illustration by D. G. Parkhurst

 

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eISBN : 978-1-101-21937-9

 

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For Aaron
for Ray
and for all the other modern-day Judahs

AS IN THE FIRST BOOK of my
Rashi’s Daughters
trilogy, most of the characters in
Miriam
are real historical figures. Again, I’ve spent years researching how Jews and women lived in medieval France so I can share my knowledge with my readers. Again, there will be plenty of Talmud woven into the story, as taught by the master, Rashi, himself.

On the subject of Talmud, I want to thank Dr. Rachel Adler of HUC-JIR in Los Angeles for introducing me to this amazing holy text almost fifteen years ago and for suggesting what later became the theme for this volume on Miriam. I fell in love with the Talmud at first sight and have been passionately studying it ever since.

That brings me to my second acknowledgment: Rabbi Aaron Katz of the Academy of Jewish Religion. My study partner and dear friend, Aaron has taught me so much that there aren’t words enough to thank him. This book would not exist without his assistance. I am also grateful to Rabbi Tsafreer Lev, Zachary Hepner, and Cantor Philip Sherman, who spent hours explaining every intricacy of the circumcision procedure and the training required to become a mohel.

I want to thank my agent, Susanna Einstein, and my editor at Plume, Ali Bothwell Mancini, for her enthusiasm and her encouragement to take
Rashi’s Daughters
to the next level. Also many thanks to Beth Lieberman, for editing advice that turned this book into the one I wanted it to be, and to Sharon Goldinger, who shepherded this naive author into becoming a successful one.

My friend Ray Eelsing and my daughter, Emily, spent many hours critiquing my early drafts. Each brought their own unique talents to the task and their comments were invaluable. Last, but certainly not least, I offer my thanks and love to my husband, Dave, who listened patiently to far too many stories about Rashi and his daughters, who gave me excellent advice about how to improve my first drafts, and who could always think of the right word when I couldn’t. Without his support I would have given up long ago.