30 August 22 • 2019
jn

C

haya Mushka High School in 
Oak Park provides its students 
with one of the most unusual 
high school experiences around. 
The school, founded 10 years ago, is 
an all-girls Chabad school whose main 
goal is to train young Jewish girls to be 
shluchos, which directly 
translates to “the wives of 
rabbis.
” The focus of the 
school is not on getting 
the best grades or getting 
into a good college, but 
instead on allowing its 
students to become the 
best people they can be, said the school’
s 
founder Bassie Shemtov, also director 
and co-founder of Friendship Circle.
“We focus on educating them to view 
all their Jewish brothers and sisters 
the same, whether they are Orthodox, 
Reform or not really practicing at all,
” 
Shemtov said.

Four years ago, in pursuit of this goal, 
Chaya Mushka began its Chavrusa pro-
gram. The Chavrusa program is centered 
around Torah study and brings together 
Chaya Mushka’
s senior class with Jewish 
women in the community who practice 
Judaism at varying levels. The young 
women are given the opportunity to 
impart their knowledge of Torah and 
create a deep spiritual connection with 
these women. 
“To see the girls thriving and just so 
proud of how they can connect on such 
a deep level is so empowering for every-
one involved,
” Shemtov said.
One of the women who participated 
in the program is Renee Laker of West 
Bloomfield. Laker has been involved in 
Chavrusa for two years. 
“I have been extremely impressed with 

the young women and how deeply they 
love Judaism and are able to have a larger 
picture of the world,
” Laker said. “I am 
so inspired by them.
”
Prior to joining Chavrusa, Laker didn’
t 
even know Chaya Mushka existed. 
“I heard about it through Friendship 
Circle,
” she said. “When I began, I was 
expecting it to be a purely academic 
pursuit, but it really was like a book of 
life for me. I learned about Judaism, but 
it was more about learning to be the best 
human being you can be.
”
Chana Schmotkin, 18, of Oak Park 
looked forward to participating in 
Chavrusa throughout her high school 
career. For her, being in a position of 
teaching was a new experience. 
“The program opened my eyes and 
made me realize I have a passion for 

teaching I never had before,
” Schmotkin 
said. “It is exciting because I do hope to 
have a Chabad house and teach in the 
future and this was the first step to that.
”
This past year, Chaya Mushka’
s senior 
class took a short trip to New York with 
the women they had spent the year 
studying with. The trip included a tour 
of a Chabad community in New York, a 
visit to the Ohel and the chance to hear 
speakers discuss different aspects of 
Judaism. 
“The trip was beyond special,
” 
Shemtov said.
Shmotkin said, “We got to work with 
other women outside of the partners we 
worked with every week. We got to work 
together and discuss and inspire each 
other.
”
Overall, the most powerful thing for 
the participants of Chavrusa was the 
connections they were able to create with 
each other and their faith.
“There is something beautiful about 
women studying with other women,
” 
Laker said. “Especially being taught by 
someone who could be my granddaugh-
ter and seeing how much respect they 
have for each other and their communi-
ty. It really has left me feeling extremely 
hopeful.
” ■

To learn more or get involved, contact 
Bassie Shemtov at (248) 613-9218.

back to school

Bassie Shemtov

LINKEDIN

Students study with local Jewish women.

Rayna Kogan of West Bloomfield, Danielle 

Sprecher of West Bloomfield and Chabad Girls 

High School student Rivkie Katz of Chicago 

study together.

Oak Park Mayor Marian McClellan studies with 

a student.

Women

Women

Teaching

Chabad High School in 
Oak Park allows senior 
class to teach Torah 
to Jewish women in 
the community.

JESSIE COHEN JN INTERN
PHOTOS BY DERRICK MARTINEZ

