Page 33 - FINAL catalogue.cdr

everyday life

the world of women

The aim in life of every Jewish woman on Rhodes was to become a good wife and mother. Girls were given suitable training when
still very young so that by the time they were between 12 and 16, the age when most marriages took place until the early 20th c.,
they were ready for their role. It was the man who had the last word in the
household, although sources say that Jewish women of the island were persistent
and stubborn, and had a mind of their own. It is true that Jewish women on Rhodes
had certain rights concerning their person and ownership. Having had few
educational opportunities, they were mainly occupied with silk production, home
handicraft and housekeeping.
With the thorough cleaning of the house, the preparation of special food on the
eve of religious festivals and the lighting of the Sabbath candles, Jewish women
were the guardians of tradition and up-keepers of worship in the home. At
festivals and on formal occasions they would play a kind of mandolin, sing
Judeo-Spanish ballads and dance with propriety. Gatherings in houses or at the
well constituted their few opportunities for social inter-action in ordinary daily
Ξύλινα γυναικεία τσόκαρα (τάκος),
διακοσμημένα με ένθετο φίλντισι. life, and here women caught up on the latest community news. Some women
Women’s wooden clogs (takos), decorated performed the task of the neighbourhood “crier” and spread the news of the day.
with mother of pearl inlay.
Dress was an important feature in the identity of the Jewish women of Rhodes. Not
much is known for certain about the way they dressed before the 16th c., but from the mid 19th c. their dress was that of the
ordinary Ottoman bourgeoisie and was the same as that of Jewish women in Smyrna. Under a long, cotton lawn shirt with a collar
and front opening, the Sayo, or Breshin for special occasions, they wore baggy pantaloons, called Tsidian or Shalvar. Over these
they wore a striped silk or velvet dress, the Anteri. Around the waist they wore a gold-embroidered velvet belt with a gold buckle.
On top of the Anteri they wore a Nimten, a short-sleeved silk pelisse. Their outer garment was the Polka, a fur-trimmed, knee-
length velvet overcoat in a bright colour or black. They tied their hair back with a black satin ribbon, or Tarbosh, and wore small
velvet bonnets, with pearl or ruby brooches centre-front. They used to wear a lot of jewellery; wide Jordania around the neck with
many chains, Manoyiu de Perlas' or 'Manoyiu de Poul', pearl necklaces, Maniyias de Chaton', bracelets. A chain with a gold
pendant in shape of a Star of David, the Shaddai, was one of the less ornate pieces of jewellery.
At home Jewish women wore an ordinary, printed headscarf, called a Yazma, hand-made stockings and leather slippers,
Patoukles. They wore Takos, wooden clogs, when doing chores. In the Hamam they wore clogs inlaid with mother-of-pearl.
Starting early in the 20th c., off-the-peg clothing gradually became more readily available. This resulted in clothing and customs
in general becoming more in keeping with the times.

H οικογένεια του Ραφαέλ Χασσών. Μία από τις γυναίκες εξακολουθεί να
διατηρεί το παραδοσιακό ένδυμα, ενώ οι άλλες δύο έχουν υιοθετήσει το Βελούδινος εξωτερικός επενδύτης
ευρωπαϊκό, Ρόδος 1918. ολοκέντητος με συρμακέσικη
ος
Rafael Hasson's family. One of the women in the photo is dressed in the old τεχνική, Ρόδος, 19 αι.
traditional way, whereas the other two have already adopted european attire, Velvet jacket with gold embroidery in
th
Rhodes 1918. couching technique, Rhodes, 19 century.