nly as Talmudic
scholars, but also as writers of history in the German language. Litte
of Ratisbon composed a history of King David in the celebrated "Book of
Samuel," a poem in the _Nibelungen_ stanza, and we are told that Rachel
Ackermann of Vienna was banished for having written a piquant novel,
"Court Secrets."

These tentative efforts led the way to busy and widespread activity by
Jewish women in various branches of literature at a somewhat later
period, when the so-called _Judendeutsch_, also known as
_Altweiberdeutsch_ (old women's German), came into general use. Rebekah
Tiktiner, daughter of Rabbi Meir Tiktiner, attained to a reputation
considerable enough to suggest her scholarly work to J. G. Zeltner, a
Rostock professor, as the subject of an essay published in 1719. Her
book, _Meneketh Ribka_, deals with the duties of woman. Edel Mendels of
Cracow epitomized "Yosippon" (History of the Jews after Josephus); Bella
Chasan, who died a martyr's death, composed two instructive works on
Jewish history, in their time widely read; Glikel Hamel of Hamburg wrote
her memoirs, describing her contemporaries and the remarkable events of
her life; Hannah Ashkenasi was the author of addresses on moral
subjects; and Ella Goetz translated the Hebrew prayers into
Jewish-German.

Litte of Ratisbon found imitators. Rosa Fischels of Cracow was the first
to put the psalms into Jewish-German rhymes (1586). She turned the whole
psalter "into simple German very prettily, modestly, and withal
pleasantly for women and maidens to read." The authoress acknowledges
that it was her aim to imitate the rhyme and melody of the "Book of
Samuel" by her famed predecessor. Occasionally her paraphrase rises to
the height of true poetry, as in the first and last verses of Psalm
xcvi:

"Sing to God a new song, sing to God all the land, sing to God, praise
His name, show forth His ready help from day to day.... The field and
all thereon shall show great joy; they will sing with all their leaves,
the trees of the wood and the grove, before the Lord God who will come
to judge the earth far and near. He judgeth the earth with righteousness
and the nations with truth."

Rosa Fischels was followed by a succession of women writers: Taube Pan
in Prague, a poetess; Bella Hurwitz, who wrote a history of the House
of David, and, in association with Rachel Rausnitz, an account of the
settlement of Jews in Prague; and a number of scholarly women famous
among