Turn-of-century Jewish society women could be frank about sex and ideas

Evidence

Rosalie’s bent was intellectual rather than maternal. She was a voracious reader of philosophy and history as well as fiction. Her hobby was crossword puzzles and she made a practice of racing through several of them every day in both English and German newspapers. A sharp mind was coupled with a sharp tongue, which she used on those who disagreed with her opinions. And she was unusually frank for a Jewish—or Gentile—housewife of her era. Once one of her granddaughters was amazed to realize that Old Grannie Cohen was about to give her an unsolicited lecture on sex. “One must be very much in love to enjoy it,” Old Grannie began, and she proceeded, with none of the delicacy ladies usually attached to such discussions at the turn of the century. — Robert A. Caro, The Power Broker, 116

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Jewish salon society was deliberately built on the fringe of respectable society — Hannah Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism, 201

Broader Connections

• Jewish salon society was deliberately built on the fringe of respectable society #complicates (0.75) — Hannah Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism, 201