The Teaching of Torah to Women

Born and raised in Morocco, Joseph (Yosef) Messas (Mashash) was a rabbi in Tlemcen, Algeria, and Meknes, Morocco. He later served as the Sephardic chief rabbi of Haifa. Messas was known for his innovative understandings of Jewish law, ruling in favor of liberal interpretations of kashrut, accepting the idea of women’s prayer groups, and challenging the custom that married women were required to cover their hair (or that women were even required to marry).