By COLlive reporter
A seminary for Chabad girls, which will be opening this coming year in California, is planning to limit the interaction male teachers have with the students, COLlive has learned.
Ohel Sara of Los Angeles, named after the late Rebbetzin Sara Rochel Schochet OBM, made the decision to have rabbis and shluchim on its faculty only in roles of teachers or lecturers.
Among them are Los Angeles’ Chabad Rabbi Shimon Raichik, posek Rabbi Yosef Shusterman, Valley Shliach Rabbi Yehoshua Gordon, Agoura Shliach Rabbi Shlome Bistritsky, Rabbi Avrohom Union of the Beth Din of the Rabbinical Council of California, Cheder Menachem principal Rabbi Mendy Greenbaum, Rabbi Moshe Kesselman of Congregation Shaarei Tefilla, Rabbi Reuven Wolf of Maayon Yisroel Chassidic Center and USC Shliach Rabbi Dov Wagner.
The latest addition is the seminary namesake’s husband, Rabbi Ezra Schochet, Rosh Yeshivas Ohr Elchanan Chabad in Los Angeles, whose daughter Mrs. Hadassa Spalter is running the seminary with Mrs. Chanie Pinson as the educational director.
For personal guidance and a listening ear, the students will have a stellar female staff in the roles of Mashpia and the ones leading farbrengens and discussion groups, in addition to teaching.
Mrs. Spalter said that while they are honored to have the rabbis give of their time and share of their vast knowledge, “we aim to empower our young women to take leadership roles in women’s institutions and realize their potentials.”
“We will be looking to hire women in the roles suited for a young women’s seminary, such as mentors and ‘mashpia’ and being the ones to inspire and farbreng in the spirit of the Torah, as the Rebbe directed, and the way Bnos Yisroel should be educated,” Spalter said.
Female staff members are Mrs. Devorie Kreiman, former principal of Bais Rebbe Junior High School in Los Angeles, lecturer and counselor Mrs. Chana Rachel Schusterman, veteran teacher Mrs. Sara Shusterman, school psychologist Mrs. Devora Zheutlin, LA Shlucha and educator Mrs. Ruchie Stillman, noted educator Mrs. Elky Einhorn, Valley Shlucha Mrs. Debbie Gordon, and Beverlywood Shlucha and Garden School Director Mrs. Geula Newman.
In addition to Mrs. Kreiman’s teacher training courses, educational consultant Mrs. Simi Feigen will be sharing her expertise and professionalism in highly leveled and skilled teachers training courses.
The tools she teaches will assist girls in all areas of life where they may be and not limited to the classroom to a teaching position. Feigen will also be giving a college level course in Hebrew, “safa meduberet” which will complement Bayit Yehudi classes taught in Hebrew by Mrs. Batsheva Schochet.
Mrs. Chaya Rochi Cohen, wife of a Mashpia in Ohr Elchanan, will be teaching Inyonei Geula Umoshiach.
And if all these names are not enough, the Ohel Sara seminary is bringing Chaya Mushka Tiefenbrun of London and Doba Raskin of Crown Heights, graduates of Beis Chana seminary in Tzfas, as this year’s “Shluchos.”
“We are looking forward to welcoming our first year’s students who have been carefully chosen based on their hashkafos, midos, and academic motivation,” said Mrs. Spalter.
“These two unbelievable Shluchos will be help round out the daily structure and add an exciting atmosphere to the programs, Shabbatons and more.”
For more info, visit LAseminary.com
WOWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!! NACHAS!
I AM SOOOO HAPPPY FOR YOU YOUR GOING TO BE AWESOMEENESS
DOBA, WE CAN”T WAIT! LOOKING FORWARD!!! HATZLACHA RABBA!!!
the best!
From my experience, (i live in chicago) even though our men teachers all do have kids, that doesnt solve anything…..
You rock and your gonna b amazing!
So proud of you dear friend!!
I have no doubt your gonna be amazing!
Love- 🙂 Lama balu!
they have a rule that if you’re male you can teach teen girls if you’re married with one kid. That sounds kinda interesting. hmmm…
the dorm counselors! hurray, hurrah!! mamosh amazing! takeh poshut zeyer gevaldik
in high schools? I dont think rabbis in their twenties (or thirties for that matter should be teaching high school girls. Are there not enough learned women out there?
something tells me that girls whitout the haspo’o from male melamdin of course we mean strictly frum and chassidic etc… might come to the issue of young girls getting only one sided style life values and ideas and can very easily have issues in marrige because of it … to opinionative without any understanding how a man should be.. good luck to all their future husbands :)… but then again maybe im wrong i just feel i gain allot of insight from my farbrengens in sem from or “male” teachers kosher freilichen pesach
Chaya mushka t is gonna turn klipafornia to kiddushafornia!!! I cant wait! Ull be the one to bring moshiach!! 🙂
isnt this an old idea. Men having men mashpiim and women having woman mashpios only.
I think the Rebbe said that, when saying that everyone should have a mashpia.
For a seminary that is just opening, I’m impressed that they are already leading the way in some important issues to improve seminaries and break the monopoly of the ones in Israel.
ur gonna be the besttttttttt
Wow! first time hearing about this.. Amazing!!
Hatzlachah rabbah!
MH
LA Is one lucky seminary !! That’s all I can say.
Wish I could do seminary all over again
will col put on a live forum with rabonim and mechanos to talk about the ‘proper’ chinuch and policies that should be set for Seminaries (and for that matter high schools).
i think this is very much needed. let’s not just sweep it under the rug, even though some people would want this.
i think this live forum is very much needed.
no joke cm I wish you good luck in all the light that you spread there, you will be awsom
It is written this way on purpose, in order to cjange tge trend of men interacting with girls or wimen more than necessary in the name of study, hashpoo, mentor etc….
I personally was asked to speak for a group of 120 girls. Itfelt awkward that they couldn’t get a woman to do it…
This article is unfortunately VERY necessary now, in hope that the other seminaries should take example from
LA really got a good catch!! It just couldnt be better!!
That chabad caught onto what the rest of the frum world was doing and had known for ever ..
u guys will do great!!
this seminary.. has the potential to be the best seminary yet!
For what already sounds like the best seminary in the world! Very wise and appropriate decision. And these are the biggest Rabonim in L.A.
They are so lucky to have you!!
Great move.
Wow wow wow! A great dugma chaya! Great choice!!
And….she does it again! Chaya mushka tifienbrun is going to be the best shlucha a sem has ever had! 🙂
having female teachers and mashpios will prevent future tzoris, my heart goes out to those affected negatively
that should be incorporated into our school system at every level. We are so careful with yechis, tznius, etc. and yet we are very careless when it comes to males counseling young females. The Torah, in its eternal wisdom of how we are wired, should be the final word at all times in our conduct.
gonna be the best shluchos everrr, doba and chaya mushkaaa
dobaaaaaaaa
men farberenging with girls for hours in sem? I just never understood it.
There’s excellent staff and amazing teachers! Hatzlacha raba
is there a policy in place in israeli seminaries.
parents…beware!
Great idea!
The sem I went to, Seminary BMC in Ste agathe Quebec has done this for years….female principale and mashpia…
Hope many follow
thank you for listening good move much hatzlocha
even when we attended bais yaakov h.s. and sem. there were many men teachers..they were great at halacha, historia, etc. however,for mashpiim, i second the motion: go with the women!!
Chaya Mushka Tiefenbrun and Doba Raskin are the BEST!
Bringing Chaya Mushka Tiefenbrun of London and Doba Raskin of Crown Heights, graduates of Beis Chana seminary in Tzfas, as this year’s “Shluchos” – is the best choice!!!
Your the best.
CHILL
Wahoo go Doba and chaya mushka!! 2 amazing chassidishe girls:-) 🙂
Go LA sem!!!! 😛
but thats an odd way to advertise it….., no? as if the 1 distinguishing element that this sem will uniquely provide, which is lacking in all other sems is that it will have female mashpios. personally i learned alot from my sem farbrengens with male teacher’s.
anyway thats how it sounds to me from the way this article is written, but kol hakavod for opening a seminary, wishing you much success
More female to prevent what has already happened..
get the men out of the girls seminaries they don’t belong there in the first place!
Mrs Newman is an excellent person for the job! Also she is the former Garden School director. The girls will learn a ton from her.
Wow sounds amazing!!