Osnat and Her Dove is a rich portrait of an early female Jewish hero

Through the power of storytelling and vibrant illustrations, Osnat and Her Dove will pull young and old readers into Osnat’s world. Written by Sigal Samuel with artwork by Vali Mintzi, Osnat and Her Dove: The True Story of the World’s First Female Rabbi is a fantastic illustrated children's book, which looks at the life of Osnat Barzani who lived from 1590 to 1670 in Mosul, Iraq. 

Osnat was born five hundred years ago – at a time when almost everyone believed in miracles. But very few believed that girls should learn to read. Yet Osnat's father was a great scholar whose house was filled with books and she convinced him to teach her. She then grew up to teach others, becoming a wise scholar in her own right and the world's first female rabbi.

 

Some say Osnat performed miracles, like healing a dove who had been shot by a hunter and saving a congregation from a fire. But perhaps her greatest achievement was to be an inspiration for others and to show that any person who can learn, might find a path that none have walked before. 

Osnat and Her Dove has been described as "an inspiring story of a young Jewish hero, filled with cultural, religious and historical detail". It’s also been described as "a testament to the power of knowledge." This remarkable story conveys Osnat’s life and the truth about women’s potential. As the Jewish Book Council have stated; "When encouraged to flourish, Osnat and others like her can heal the world.”