Testament and Inheritance Reflecting Family Dynamics in Jewish Yemen in the Nineteenth Century

This article investigates social practices and cultural ethos that governed Yemeni Jewish society in the nineteenth century as reflected in testaments, pointing generational changes, shifts in power relations, and transfer of wealth. Concepts of the Yemeni Jewish family were based on traditional tenets that were in congruence with Muslim society, and according to which most women did not inherit. The analysis shows that nineteenth-century political and social changes affected the practical position of women, as many entered the labor force. It suggests that the dissonance between formal status of women and actual power lasted as long as Jews lived in Yemen.