Gluckel's memoir enables a reader to gain an understanding of what a widowed Jewish woman would face in Christian dominated Germany both from a personal and public perspective throughout seventeenth and eighteenth century. Throughout her memoirs Gluckel

As Gluckel refers to it in her book to be a business women was considered to be that of a prestigious role, since a wife was helping her husband, or was working to support her family. Among the German Jews throughout seventeenth and eighteenth century it was expected that women worked. In the case of Gluckel and the passing of her husband in 1689, Gluckel is left managing the family business while taking on the role of businesswomen. Gluckel writes in her fifth book, "As for the family business, Haim had felt no need to make any executor or guardians." Therefore Gluckel assumed responsibility herself. Throughout her novel Gluckel emphasizes that many German Jewish women were left minding the family business. In book five she discusses other resourceful matrons such as Esther Mattie who Gluckel describes as, "A pious, honorable woman who ...always went to fairs." Gluckel continues to give examples of other widows such as the Baruch of Berlin, "who still remained fully in business after her husband's death." Jewish businesswomen were assumed to be honorable for travelling to the fairs abroad to sell their merchandise. Contrary to Jewish ways, Davis argues that Christian women in renaissance Germany ordinarily stayed within the city walls, playing an active role in the retail sector. However, in 17th and 18th century a few Christian women in Hamburg did attend to their husbands' firms until their sons were old enough to take over. But it was very unlikely that a business as extensive as Haims' (Gluckel's first husband) would have been left to a woman. Rather it would be left to male workers/ relatives while women themselves used their time to take part in leisure activities such as taking care of the household or going to Church. It wasn't viewed to be flattering for Christian women being dominant members of society to be fully involved in male labor. Whereas, Jewish individuals viewed to be subordinates to the rest of society were assumed to take any role to bring home an income. The Jewish women travelling to the fairs to sell their goods did not detract from a woman's reputation but on the contrary if a woman made as much money as Gluckel did, it brought additional marriage proposals, because it showed a woman's commitment to her husband.

The difficulties besetting the Jews everywhere, the endless threats they were subjected to, the need for special papers and permits of residence, was a constant backdrop, which Gluckel describes in her memoirs. Gluckel characterizes the situation in Hamburg as, "From time to time we enjoyed peace, and again we were hunted forth; and so it has been to this day and I fear, will continue in like fashion as long as the burghers rule." Such a quote represents the fear in which Jews lived during this time in Hamburg. It was unknown what the days would bring them, or what their future would be like. Gluckel's memoir tells a great deal about the conditions of life that the Jews faced in Hamburg. Their inability to live as full citizens

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Approximate Word count = 2032
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)