al-Wuḥsha al-Dallāla (died after 1104), whose given name was Karīma bint Ammar, was a Jewish-Egyptian businesswoman ("dallāla", or broker) active in the 11th and 12th centuries.[1] [2]
She was the daughter of the Jewish banker Ammar of Alexandria.[3] She married Arye ben Yehudah and moved to Cairo, but divorced him early on, and made a business career of her own. She is known for her successful business career as well as her love life, and was a leading member of the Cairo business world, often appearing in court for her business tasks, in contrast to the otherwise secluded life many women in Cairo lead. She also created a scandal, challenging social and sexual conventions by living with a lover and having a child with him out of wedlock, which resulted in her being banned from the synagogue in 1095.[4]
Additionally, she is also known for her will of 1104, in which she donated her vast fortune to various institutions and charitable subjects within the Jewish community of Cairo.
Al-Wuhsha had a daughter named Sitt Ghazāl from her marriage to Arye ben Yehudah. A court document from December 1132 identifies Sitt Ghazal as al-Wuhsha's daughter in bold letters, indicating the extent of her mother's reputation. No daughter is mentioned in al-Wuhsha's will, which may indicate that the two women had become estranged by that point.