NEW YORK – The 26th of Adar marks the yahrzeit of Sarah Schenirer, a visionary whose impact on Jewish education for women continues to resonate deeply.
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Born in 1883 in Krakow, Poland, the third of nine children of Bezalel and Rosa (Lack) Schenirer; the Schenirers were a distinguished rabbinic family with ties to both Belzer and Sandzer Hasidism.
Sarah Schenirer grew up in a time when girls were not encouraged to pursue formal education, particularly in Torah. In fact, the prevailing belief was that women should focus on domestic duties, while Torah study was reserved for boys. Yet, Sarah Schenirer saw things differently.
She recognized that Jewish women had untapped potential and deserved the opportunity to learn Torah and deepen their spiritual lives. With great determination, Sarah founded the first Bais Yaakov school in 1917, a groundbreaking step that defied societal expectations. At a time when few thought it was necessary for girls to receive formal Jewish education, Sarah Schenirer boldly set out to create an environment where girls could engage with Torah in a structured, supportive setting.
The Bais Yaakov movement she started in Krakow was not immediately embraced by everyone. Many in the Jewish community opposed her idea, believing that it was inappropriate for women to study Torah. However, Sarah Schenirer was unwavering in her commitment to provide Jewish girls with the tools they needed to lead lives rooted in Torah and tradition. She saw that an education that combined both spiritual growth and practical knowledge was crucial to empowering women to contribute meaningfully to their families, communities, and the Jewish world at large.
Despite the challenges, the Bais Yaakov movement gained tremendous momentum, spreading across Poland and eventually to other parts of Europe and the world. The idea of Torah education for girls was embraced by many Jewish communities, including various Hasidic groups, who established their own girls’ schools modeled after Bais Yaakov. This further cemented Sarah Schenirer’s revolutionary approach and ensured that her vision would endure for generations to come.
Through her efforts, Sarah Schenirer not only transformed the lives of countless Jewish girls but also reshaped the landscape of Jewish education for women. Her vision of Torah education for girls became a cornerstone of Jewish life, ensuring that future generations of women could engage deeply with their faith.
Today, the Bais Yaakov movement continues to thrive, with schools and institutions dedicated to Sarah Schenirer’s principles of Torah study, modesty, and spiritual growth. Her legacy lives on in the thousands of women who have been empowered by her teachings to study Torah, lead their families, and contribute to Jewish communities in profound ways.
As we reflect on Sarah Schenirer’s remarkable life on the 26th of Adar, we are reminded of her unwavering belief in the importance of Jewish education for women and the lasting impact her work continues to have on the Jewish world. Her courage to challenge the norms of her time and her dedication to the education of Jewish girls created a path for generations of women to engage with Torah and live lives of meaning and purpose.
To all those discomfited by the picture: Sarah Schenirer was known to actively avoid having her photo taken. Here’s what she wrote “I don’t need anyone to remember what I look like, I want them to remember my vision.” If anything, the contrast between what she physically looked like in a picture and her stunning inner beauty is living proof of how meaningless are our external personas.
About the picture, I think VIN can fix it to look better. However, this is an accurate picture. Sara Schenirer was not a beautiful woman. She knew that and wrote of it in her diary. However, she was beloved then and now. You don’t have to be a beauty to impact the trajectory of your people. This is what we can all take away.
What this piece says is not exactly correct. Sara Schenirer witnessed the loss of an entire generation of girls that went to non Jewish Catholic schools because there were no Jewish schools and many stood in the way of establishing Jewish schools. These girls would not marry chasidishe boys nor were they even frum. Sara Schenirer yearned to make lasting change. She wished to turn around the destruction that this wrought in almost every Jewish family. When she established a Bais Yaakov in her own apartment, the Agudah very quickly came in and supported her endeavor. The rest is history.
To VIN : Went out of the way to find the most unflattering photograph
A little respect please .
Sara Schenirer a”h was one of the greatest visionaries whose positive impact on the Torah World and Chinuch in general is immeasurable. It is to her credit that the world of Yeshivos and post marriage learning flourished because she valued women’s potential as the cornerstone of the home. She valued education and intellect as seen in her prolific writings. Giving women the empowerment of knowledge has launched the chinuch system at large, not just the Bais Yaakov movement that she initiated. Her picture is the last detail she would have cared about. The upbeat, enthusiastic, loving impression she left on her students and disciples is what counts, endures and is perpetuated!
Is this the only picture you can come up with?!
This lady probably did more for Yiddishkiet, than any other lady since churban bayis sheani
Of all the photos of the great Sarah Schenirer, they couldn’t find a more befitting and more pleasant photo of her?? What a shanda!!! Disgusting!!! Take the photo and/or the article down.
As Golda Meir said, “Not being beautiful was the true blessing. Not being beautiful forced me to develop my inner resources. The pretty girl has a handicap to overcome.”
Perhaps like Golda Meir her lack of beauty led her to focus on inner beauty to be able to transmit Torah to the girls.
At the same time, that pic of her is very unflattering.
Another problem of the chareidi community manifests itself…..the importance placed on one’s physical appearance .