Osnat and her Dove: The True Story of the World’s First Female Rabbi

Osnat’s curiosity about those many books and her persistence to know more led her to plead with her father to teach her to read and study with him. However, in 17th century, such things were activities meant for boys as it was a rarity for young girls to be educated. Osnat’s desire to learn wins her rabbi father over, and he agrees. Osnat is enchanted by the words of the Torah, the Hebrew letters, their unique shapes, and Osnat soon thrives in this environment. Along the way, she strikes up a deep friendship with a dove to whom she reads and who becomes her faithful companion.

As Osnat grows older, her father deals with her reluctance to marry with good humour as many suitors present themselves. Luckily, one fine man, Jacob, agrees to Osnat’s desire to study all day and to teach at the Yeshiva rather than do household chores. As the years go by, Osnat raises a family, and her reputation as a teacher, a leader, a scholar, a rabbi, and even as a healer, grows mightily.

The equally talented illustrator, Vali Mintzi, a graphic and puppetry designer, has enhanced the story with exquisite drawings. In intricate detail, the title page explains the method used in creating the brilliantly coloured illustrations, with gouache hues in layers and the interesting use of reds, blues, and patterns. This is a welcome addition, since most illustrators of children’s books rarely go into this kind of detail about their art.

Osnat and her Dove: The True Story of the World’s First Female Rabbi, a lovely recounting of a respected, revered, and legendary first female rabbi, is a joy to read. Simple but elegant prose is used to elaborate this tale. Author Sigal Samuel, who hails from an Iraqi Jewish family, has incredible credentials as a journalist for several prestigious organizations. In the “Author’s Note” at the end, she explores further the facts behind this story and explains her fascination with this Kurdish leader.