CHAPTER 21: THE WOMEN OF THE JEWISH QUARTER – ROLES AND POWER

CHAPTER 21: THE WOMEN OF THE JEWISH QUARTER – ROLES AND POWER This chapter delves into the often-silenced world of women in the medieval Jewish quarter of Zaragoza, revealing their crucial role as the true pillars of the community. Narrated by the voice of Shelomó ibn Gabirol, the episode paints a vivid, 3D-sensory picture of their lives, exploring their domestic and public roles, economic power, and religious participation. The narrative follows the entire life cycle of a woman, from the celebratory birth rituals and the oral-based education in the warmth of the kitchen, to the strategic alliances of marriage sealed by the ketubah, which guaranteed women a remarkable degree of economic independence. The chapter highlights how women were the economic engine in sectors like silk spinning and how widowhood, though painful, often became a moment of maximum autonomy, with many widows becoming successful lenders and property managers. Key figures are brought to life, such as Jamila, a devout Jewess whose 1415 will reveals the heartbreaking reality of a family fractured by forced conversions, and Solbelida, a 15th-century merchant of astonishing solvency. The episode also explores the exclusively female religious spaces, like the mikvé (ritual bath) and the spiritual leadership of figures like Cetí la Rabissa. Finally, the chapter confronts the harsh realities of violence and the terror of the Inquisition, showcasing the silent, domestic resistance of women who fought to preserve their traditions. It concludes by celebrating these women as the silent protagonists of history, the living memory of Sefarad whose legacy lies in the very survival of the Jewish people. If you have enjoyed this journey to the heart of our aljama, I invite you to share it. You can listen to other chapters and series about the medieval Jewish quarters of Aragón on major podcast platforms, including those of Calatayud, Tarazona, and Híjar. Zakhor. Remember. Shalom. EPILOGUE: THE PHYSICAL SPACE OF MEMORY NARRATOR (IBN GABIROL): The Jewish quarter of Zaragoza was a labyrinth of narrow streets and crowded houses. Jewish homes shared walls with Christian houses, creating an architecture of high population density and cultural porosity. In those streets, where the sun barely reached at noon, women walked carrying water jugs, baskets of food, children by the hand. Every stone of those streets, every threshold of those doors, holds the memory of their steps. Today, when we walk what remains of the old aljama, we tread the same ground they trod. And if we listen with our hearts, we can feel their presence. CREDITS AND SOURCES • Narrator: Ibn Gabirol (Shelomó ibn Gabirol, 1021–1058/70) • Direction and Production: Javier Bona López • Documentation and Advisory: Miguel Ángel Motis Dolader (San Jorge University of Zaragoza) Bibliography and Documentary Sources 1 Blasco Martínez, Asunción. “Jewish Women of Zaragoza Facing Death (15th Century).” Aragón en la Edad Media, no. 10-11, 1993, pp. 113–150. 2 Motis Dolader, Miguel Ángel. Inquisitorial Trials of Judeoconversas in Aragón (1484–1492). Edition and preliminary study, Dykinson, S.L. 3 Motis Dolader, Miguel Ángel. “Femininity and Identity: Judeoconversas in Late Medieval Aragón and the Celebration of Shabbat.” In Women in the Middle Ages, coordinated by Mª Isabel del Val Valdivieso and Juan Francisco Jiménez Alcázar, 2013, pp. 347–361. 4 Motis Dolader, Miguel Ángel. The Jewish Aljama of Zaragoza in the Late Middle Ages. “Fernando el Católico” Institution. 5 Historical Archive of Protocols of Zaragoza (AHPZ). Notarial protocols from the 14th and 15th centuries.