Maggie Anton, famed author of the widely acclaimed “Rashi’s Daughters” triumvred of best-selling historical novels will speak at Congregations B’nai Tzedek/Beit Chaverim  6280 Kugler Mill Road, on Thursday evening February 4, at 7 P.M.

Anton’s novels focus on Rashi, the great 11th century Talmudic scholar and his three daughters.  Meticulously researched, the novels detail both Jewish life in 11th century France, and Rashi’s family life. 

Anton’s Cincinnati visit is being jointly sponsored by Congregations Adath Israel, Beit Chaverim, B’nai Tzedek, Ohev Shalom, and Northern Hills.

The series of books opens in 1068, when Salomon Ben Isaac, better known today as Rashi, returns home to Troyes, France from his studies in Germany to take over the family winemaking business.  As he acquires a growing reputation as a Talmudic scholar, he attracts students.  Most notable among them, are his daughters.  For Rashi dramatically breaks with Jewish custom and tradition by teaching Talmud to his daughters.  The novels detail many of the problems Rashi and his daughters faced both in their pioneering studies, and in their everyday lives, constantly weaving in Talmudic passages and their explanations.

Maggie Anton spent seven years researching the series.  Trained in the sciences, she was working full time when she first began to research and write in the evenings.  She has studied with some of the outstanding contemporary Talmudic scholars and is continually expanding her studies of Talmud and medieval history.  She claims that she was “intrigued with the idea that this great Jewish scholar had no sons, only daughters—daughters who studied Jewish texts.”  She hopes that her books will “inspire more women and non-Orthodox Jews to study Talmud.  I hope the short Talmud lessons in “Rashi’s Daughters”  will inspire them to do so.” 

As with any novelist, much of Anton’s work is imaginary, but the central characters are all real, many of the historical events mentioned did in fact take place, and of course the Talmudic discussions are based on Rashi’s commentaries.  Anton claims that Rashi’s daughters, “attended synagogue regularly and performed those rituals usually reserved for men.  When modern Jewish women create new rituals and new blessings we are following in the footsteps of Rashi’s daughters and doing what our female ancestors were already doing 900 years ago.”

There will be a $5.00 cover charge for Anton’s lecture and her books will be available for purchase and signing.  Please indicate if you are attending by calling 513.984.3393.