Women's Talmud Torah - The History (Part 2)

This is the fourth episode in our new podcast series exploring a woman's relationship with Talmud Torah. In this episode, we interview Dr. Tali Loewenthal, a professor of Jewish studies at University College London and an academic whose research focuses on the history of Chassidic women. We explore the origins of the tradition amongst the Kabbalists to educate their daughters and how that has impacted the evolution of Chassidic women's Torah learning from the start of the Chassidic movement until the modern era.

We discuss these questions and more:

The Frierdiker Rebbe's Memoirs mentions an ancient tradition amongst the Kabbalists to educate their daughters. Where do we see evidence of this in the history of Kabbalah? How was this implemented practically? How did this perspective fit into the general perspective of the Kabbalists? Did this tradition continue to get passed down in subsequent generations? If so, was it only select women or did it ever become widespread throughout the entire community? Was this tradition passed down in any other Chassidic communities aside from Chabad? What was the goal of the Achos Hatemimim movement, started by the Frierdiker Rebbe? What in particular did the women study and in what format? How many women were involved? What impact did it have on Chabad girls education today?

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Thank you to Rivka Lazarus for sponsoring this episode in the zchus of a refuah sheleimah for Velvel Shlomo Hakohen ben Fayga Gittel.