Anglo-Jewish women and obstetrics 1730-1780 (360G-Wellcome-094050_Z_10_Z)

My project is crystallized into four principal research questions. First, how did immigrating to England (where the 'obstetric revolution' first took hold) during a period of such flux in reproductive care- for example, the publication of the forceps and the development of other obstetrical tools- affect the established reproductive rituals of Jewish women? Second, given that the 'medicalisation' of childbirth was also, of necessity, a 'secularisation' of many aspects of 1 the childbirth ritual, how was the religiosity of Jewish women affected by the advent of 'man-midwives', obstetric physicians, and maternity hospital? Third, how did the experience of birthing differ across the internal class structures of the Jewish community? Finally, how did the Anglo-Jewish woman's experience of the 'obstetric revolution'- given an insular community, a separate doctrine, and rabbinical law - compare to that of her Anglican counterpart?