Sullam, Sara Coppia (1590–1641)
Sullam, Sara Coppia (1590–1641)
Italian Renaissance figure. Name variations: Sara Copio Sullam. Born Sara Coppia or Copio in Venice, Italy, in 1590; died in 1641; was able to read Latin, Greek, Spanish, Hebrew, and Italian by age 15; married Joseph Sullam.
Sara Coppia Sullam typified the cultural achievements of Renaissance Italy; although she was born in 1590 and raised in the humble ghetto regions of Venice, she was able to read five languages by the time she was 15. She could perform on the lute and harpsichord, and was known as a gifted poet, although very little of her work has survived. After her marriage to Joseph Sullam, a wealthy Jewish man, she turned their home into one of the most popular literary salons in Venice, frequented by Jews and Gentiles alike. She often entertained the most distinguished people of the era in Venice by reading her own poetry and performing music. Her prominence in Venetian cultural life made her a desirable prospect for conversion to Christianity, but she rejected all attempts to turn her away from Judaism.
Despite her steadfast devotion to her faith, Sullam found herself the victim of rumors that she did not believe in the immortality of the soul. To defend her position and religious beliefs, she wrote a pamphlet in 1621 titled Manifesto of Sara Coppia Sullam, Jewess, in which she refutes the opinion denying immortality of the soul, falsely attributed to her by Sr. Bonifaccio. As a demonstration of her belief in immortality, she addressed her dead father in the essay, and also dedicated it to him, expressing her hopes that the essay might perpetuate his name in the same way as if she had been a son to carry on the family line. She remained a loyal, fiercely dedicated, and proud Jew until her death in 1641.
sources:
Henry, Sondra, and Emily Taitz. Written Out of History: Our Jewish Foremothers. NY: Biblio Press, 1990.