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Prophets in Their Own Land?: Mothers and Daughters of the Alliance Israélite Universelle

2000; Indiana University Press; Volume: 3; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

1565-5288

Frances Malino,

Jewish Identity and Society

On December 17, 1920, Allegrina Benchimol Levy, Director of the Alliance Israelite school for girls in Mogador, reported her mother's death to the Alliance leadership in Paris. My mother was an ayshet hayil, she wrote, a woman of valor to whom I turned for support, solace and emotional sustenance. Although Allegrina's touching portrait echoes numerous others drawn through the centuries, it is nevertheless unexpected. She describes not only a pious Jewish woman living in North Africa, but also a politically sophisticated and influential member of the Tetuan Jewish community, unwaveringly attached to the educational mission of the Alliance Israelite Universelle.