Monday, September eighth, Ohav Zedek proudly opened its doors to welcome twelve young ladies to the community. Although the girls flew in from Brazil, England, Canada and France, they felt right at home thanks to the warm welcome they received from the Schtroks family and shul members. 

The new Machon Yehudis Seminary offers many classes in which the girls can further their Judaic studies whilst taking courses in food decorating, computing, hairdressing, aerobics and more. A focal point of the students’ curriculum, which has been met with great enthusiasm, is reaching out to the community by enhancing existing programs as well as initiating new ones. Programs will include arranging teen get-togethers, participating in women’s Rosh Chodesh events, joining senior lunches at the JCC and simply becoming a part of the Bayonne Jewish community. 

Rabbi Menachem Schtroks, eager to give the girls furtherance in their education as well as to benefit from their input into community work, commented: “As a director and educator, it’s a pleasure to come every morning to teach the students who are so enthusiastic to learn and give it all they’ve got. Being that we haven’t run a program of this sort before, I’m truly grateful to G-d for helping us pull off the start to smoothly and professionally."

The girls’ dorm counselor, Leah Fellig, who did outreach work in Milwaukee last year, is looking forward to the coming year. “I am really impressed by the dynamics of the group,” she remarked. “I am certain they will be an asset to the community. Whether they were brought up in London, Chicago or Sao Paulo, the girls all share great expectations for the coming year and are united by their goal to ensure Jewish continuity in the Bayonne area.” 

Many of the girls are children of Rabbis, community leaders and directors of outreach programs. Although relatively young in years, their backgrounds are rich with experience in outreach. “Growing up,” one of the students explained, “my parents taught me that one is never too young to help another. If you know the Hebrew letter Aleph, teach someone else Aleph.” 

The girls have already begun visiting people in their homes, organizing a fantastic Rosh Chodesh evening as well as a successful kids’ club – a weekly fun-filled program packed with games, arts and crafts and other exciting activities. 

They would like to take this opportunity to thank all the members of the community who gave of their time and assistance to make this project a success.