A matter of choices. Jewish women and jewish marriages in the ghetto of Rome (seventeenth-eighteenth centuries)

In early modern Jewish society, marriage was an essential and expected life event for both men and women, particularly within the constrained context of the Roman ghetto. This article explores how, for Jewish women, marriage functioned not only as a personal milestone but also as a conscious affirmation of religious identity in contrast to the alternatives of conversion or monastic life. Amidst limited sources – shaped by male voices and communal structures – the study examines how Jewish communities, especially through dowry confraternities, strategically supported marriages to preserve religious continuity. Drawing from censored educational texts, communal financial practices, and dedications by women, the essay argues for a reinterpretation of ghetto life as shaped by deliberate, aware decisions. It emphasizes the agency of women who chose to remain Jewish, proposing a methodology rooted in multilingual, multicultural documents to better understand their experiences and the collective efforts to sustain Jewish life under marginalization.