Sarah Schenirer
Encyclopedia
Sarah Schenirer (July 13, 1883 - March 1, 1935) was a pioneer of Jewish education
for girls. In 1917, she established the Beis Yaakov (lit. "house of Jacob") school network in Poland
.
, Poland. In her memoirs, she describes herself as the unassuming and withdrawn daughter of Hasidic parents. She attended school until the age of thirteen, but could not continue because her family was poor. She became a seamstress. When one client was unusually particular about the measurements of her dress, Schenirer wrote in her diary: "People are such perfectionists when it comes to clothing their bodies. Are they so particular when they address themselves to the needs of their soul?"
After the outbreak of World War I in 1914 she moved to Vienna
, but returned to Kraków early the next year, where she organized a group of girls and taught them Jewish studies.
She succeeded in overcoming initial resistance against this new type of school and saw rapid development of about 300 schools in pre Holocaust
Europe
. Her initiative was approved by the leading rabbis of the times, such as the Gerrer
Rebbe, Rabbi Avraham Mordechai Alter
and Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan
(known as "the Chofetz Chaim").
In 1923 Schenirer set up a teachers' seminary to train staff for her rapidly expanding network of schools. The main goal of the schools was "to train Jewish daughters so that they will serve the Lord with all their might and with all their hearts; so that they will fulfill the commandments of the Torah with sincere enthusiasm and will
know that they are the children of a people whose existence does not depend upon a territory of its own, as do other nations of the world whose existence is predicated upon a
territory and similar racial background."
Her student Pearl Benisch wrote a book about Sarah Schenirer called "Carry Me in Your Heart."
The book "Rebbetzin Grunfeld" - The Life of Judith Grunfeld Courageous Pioneer of the Bais Yaakov Movement and Jewish Rebirth Artscroll Series, was written by Miriam Dansky about Sarah Schenirer's colleague.
Jewish education
Jewish education is the transmission of the tenets, principles and religious laws of Judaism. Due to its emphasis on Torah study, many have commented that Judaism is characterised by "lifelong learning" that extends to adults as much as it does to children.-History:The tradition of Jewish...
for girls. In 1917, she established the Beis Yaakov (lit. "house of Jacob") school network in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
.
Biography
Sarah Schenirer was born in KrakowKraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
, Poland. In her memoirs, she describes herself as the unassuming and withdrawn daughter of Hasidic parents. She attended school until the age of thirteen, but could not continue because her family was poor. She became a seamstress. When one client was unusually particular about the measurements of her dress, Schenirer wrote in her diary: "People are such perfectionists when it comes to clothing their bodies. Are they so particular when they address themselves to the needs of their soul?"
After the outbreak of World War I in 1914 she moved to Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, but returned to Kraków early the next year, where she organized a group of girls and taught them Jewish studies.
She succeeded in overcoming initial resistance against this new type of school and saw rapid development of about 300 schools in pre Holocaust
The Holocaust
The Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...
Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Her initiative was approved by the leading rabbis of the times, such as the Gerrer
Ger (Hasidic dynasty)
Ger, or Gur is a Hasidic dynasty originating from Ger, the Yiddish name of Góra Kalwaria, a small town in Poland....
Rebbe, Rabbi Avraham Mordechai Alter
Avraham Mordechai Alter
Avraham Mordechai Alter , also known as the Imrei Emes after the works he authored, was the third Rebbe of the Hasidic dynasty of Ger, a position he held from 1905 until his death in 1948. He was one of the founders of the Agudas Israel in Poland and was influential in establishing a network of...
and Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan
Yisrael Meir Kagan
Yisrael Meir Poupko , known popularly as The Chofetz Chaim, was an influential Eastern European rabbi, Halakhist, posek, and ethicist whose works continue to be widely influential in Jewish life...
(known as "the Chofetz Chaim").
In 1923 Schenirer set up a teachers' seminary to train staff for her rapidly expanding network of schools. The main goal of the schools was "to train Jewish daughters so that they will serve the Lord with all their might and with all their hearts; so that they will fulfill the commandments of the Torah with sincere enthusiasm and will
know that they are the children of a people whose existence does not depend upon a territory of its own, as do other nations of the world whose existence is predicated upon a
territory and similar racial background."
Legacy
When she died in 1935, more than 200 Beis Yaakov schools were teaching approximately 35,000 girls. One of her students was Rebbitzen Vichna Kaplan, founder of the Beis Yaakov schools in America. In her will, she wrote: "My dear girls, you are going out into the great world. Your task is to plant the holy seed in the souls of pure children. In a sense, the destiny of Israel of old is in your hands."Literary references
In her novel Peleh Laylah, Israeli author Esther Ettinger, who studied at a Beis Yaakov school as a girl, weaves in passages from Sara Schenirer's writings.Her student Pearl Benisch wrote a book about Sarah Schenirer called "Carry Me in Your Heart."
The book "Rebbetzin Grunfeld" - The Life of Judith Grunfeld Courageous Pioneer of the Bais Yaakov Movement and Jewish Rebirth Artscroll Series, was written by Miriam Dansky about Sarah Schenirer's colleague.
See also
- Gender and JudaismGender and JudaismGender and Judaism is an emerging subfield at the intersection of gender studies and Jewish studies. Gender studies centers on interdisciplinary research on the phenomenon of gender. It focuses on cultural representations of gender and people's lived experience...
- Haredi JudaismHaredi JudaismHaredi or Charedi/Chareidi Judaism is the most conservative form of Orthodox Judaism, often referred to as ultra-Orthodox. A follower of Haredi Judaism is called a Haredi ....
- History of the Jews in PolandHistory of the Jews in PolandThe history of the Jews in Poland dates back over a millennium. For centuries, Poland was home to the largest and most significant Jewish community in the world. Poland was the centre of Jewish culture thanks to a long period of statutory religious tolerance and social autonomy. This ended with the...
- RebbetzinRebbetzinRebbitzin or Rabbanit is the title used for the wife of a rabbi, typically from the Orthodox, or Haredi, and Hasidic Jewish groups...
- Role of women in JudaismRole of women in JudaismThe role of women in Judaism is determined by the Hebrew Bible, the Oral Law , by custom, and by non-religious cultural factors...
- TzniutTzniutTzniut is a term used within Judaism and has its greatest influence as a concept within Orthodox Judaism...
External links
- "Sarah Schenirer: The Mother of Generations", article in "Jewish Observer"
- The Contribution of German Chareidim to the New Yishuv article from Yated Ne'eman
- Remembering Soroh Schenirer — Her Seventieth Yahrtzeit article from Yated Ne'eman
- What Do We Know About The Establishment of Beit Ya’akov? by Dr. Yoel Finkelman