Gluckel of Hameln’s Memoirs - 1010 Words

Gluckel of Hameln’s memoirs Gluckel of Hameln was a Jewish woman from Hamburg who lived in the seventeenth century. She wrote her lengthy memoirs in Yiddish. Her memoir is regarded to be one of the most important documents for European Jewish history written by a Jewish woman. The diary or the memoirs are addressed to her fourteen children. In 1690, Gluckel became a widow after the death of her husband and the memoirs were a therapeutic way to heal her wounded heart. The diary was used to take away her sad thoughts and to get her through her sadness. She states â€Å"I am not writing this book in order to preach to you, but, as I have already said, to drive away the melancholy that comes with the long nights †¦Ã¢â‚¬ However, in her diary she†¦show more content†¦In her memoir in book five she gives credit to some of the women like Esther Mattie who she describes as, A pious, honorable woman who †¦always went to fairs. Gluckel also recognizes widows like Baruch of Berlin, who she says à ¢â‚¬ ¦ still remained fully in business after her husbands death. The information reflects how the Jewish businesswomen took seriously their work by travelling to the fairs abroad to sell their goods. This was atypical to the German Christian wives who stayed within the city walls and played their role in the retail sector. Unlike the German Christian wives, the Jewish wives were not viewed to be flattering by becoming dominant members of society and be fully engaged in the male dominant labor force. The Jewish wives were viewed as subordinates in the society who were assumed to become active and bring home an income. The Jewish women travelled to the fairs to sell their merchandise and this did not undermine the womans reputation. Unlike their Christian partners, women who earned much brought additional marriage proposals, because it indicated the womans commitment to her husband and family. The memoirs serve as a reminder to her children to know the value of hard work. The memoir shows the distinction between hard work of the German Jewish women and the German Christian women in the 17th and 18th century. The memoirs have placed the main focus on the comparison of German Jewish womens lives and that of German Christian womens lives. UsingShow MoreRelatedGluckel of Hameln: The Identity of Jewish Women Essay1757 Words   |  8 Pagesto the domestic roles women played in society, they also played roles in the trade and commerce. Gluckel of Hameln authored one of the earliest-known Jewish memoirs detailing the rise and fall of her own fortunes (Schachter.) She had great judgment for business transactions, and when she was widowed at age 54 she took over her husband’s business to ensure her children’s future. In her memoir, Gluckel describes her marriage as a business partnership, boasting that her husband would turn only to her