The eponymous young woman (Barbra Streisand) has been brought up by her father (Nehemiah Persoff) to be a free thinking and curious young girl, and one who is determined to get an education even though it is only boys who are allowed to go to university. When he dies, she hits on quite a riskily innovative idea. She will cut her hair and dress as boy. Voilà - "Anschel" is born and of he goes to further study the Talmud. Once there, she befriends "Avigdor" (Mandy Patinkin) and his fiancée "Hadass" (Amy Irving) and her association with them gradually makes her realise that there is much more…