Young Girls and Their Dolls in Judaism
Young Girls and Their Dolls in Judaism

Summary/Abstract: Dolls were popular toys, especially of young girls, from ancient until modern times and it is hard to see why Jewish girls would not have had them or played with them. Yet, and as opposed to other types of toys, they are not mentioned in Talmudic sources and not found in Jewish archaeological settings. As Talmudic sources tend to mention toys with halakhic problems, it is possible that the rabbis of the Talmud did not see any problems with doll play and the missing archaeological setting may reflect the non-lasting material from which the dolls were made. It is hardto imagine, though, that the rabbis and the general population were not aware of the dual nature of dolls in Graeco-Roman society, as playthings and as votive objects, and the dangers implicit in their votive nature. The dual nature of dollsin non-Jewishsociety continued to exist in the Middle Ages and almost up until modern times. In Jewish sources, dolls are mentioned for the first time in the Middle Ages and as aspects of dolls and their ritual use were even more blatant than before, this must have been common knowledge in Jewish society. While Jewish society would have known of the problems which were associated with idolatryand the sources that deal with them indeed mention idolatry, Jewish society never considered this a serious issue. Doll play thrived and by modern times doll production and sales had turned into a thriving business.

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