Jewish Widows' Homes in Ashkenaz in the 12th and 13th Centuries

This paper discusses the plight of several Jewish women living in 12th and 13th-century Ashkenaz, and the situations they faced as widows, with regard to their accommodations. Responsa reveal that, despite halakhic regulations regard- ing provision for them, widows were highly vulnerable to eviction from the homes that had belonged to their late husbands and encountered threatening and pre- carious living situations. This issue sheds light on the social and financial possibilities and unique challenges faced by medieval Jewish women after becoming widows.