Jewish News
Jewish girls’ Seminary for Johannesburg
Filling a void in the South African Jewish community is a soon-to-be launched seminary for Jewish girls in Johannesburg, the brainchild of Mashi Rose, who has achieved great heights as a rebbetzen (Waverley Shul) an educator and a graphologist.
SUZANNE BELLING
PHOTOGRAPH BY SUZANNE BELLING
Rebbetzen Rose has harnessed a wealth of talent to bring her dream to fruition: a programme that “will engrave in the students’ hearts the knowledge that they are Bnot Yisrael and give them appreciation of holiness, greatness and purity associated with this role.
“We will offer a programme of intellectual excellence based in Torah, with superior teachers in an environment where girls are cared for on an individual basis. We are committed to creating a stimulating programme that will inspire and nurture a process of self-development with Yiddish-Chassidishe values,” she said.
The approach is based on principles and values based on the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneersohn, obm, and will include the development of study skills and broadening personal horizons.
“Birchat Habat – the blessing of a daughter – is attractive to girls who are serious about their learning in an environment with top education. We provide superior teachers in a caring and personalised environment.”
Premises have not been acquired as yet, but Rebbetzen Rose is hoping to find something in the Norwood area and intends to open the seminary in September (to accommodate overseas girls or January for South Africans). The course is a year long. But, in addition to lessons, accommodation, meals and dorm counsellor, the seminary will provide a taste of South Africa, with regular visits to Cape Town, Durban and organised safaris. There will be supervised trips up Table Mountain and trips to Namaqualand to see the wild flowers.
“We have already had inquiries from Australia, the US and the UK,” said Rebbetzen Rose who revealed that seminars for women were successful worldwide and were even springing up in countries like Italy and Prague. “I think it is more important for a woman to go to a seminary than for a boy to go to yeshiva because the woman is the foundation of the home.”
The rebbetzen herself was born in Bank, a small West Rand town, and met her husband Rabbi Aharon Rose in Crown Heights when she was at a seminary and he was in yeshiva. Rabbi Rose will also play an integral role in the seminary.
Mashi Rose will also offer graphology as a sideline as she herself is well-known graphologist, having studied the subject and been involved in forensic evaluations, analysing handwriting for banks, private companies and the Beth Din. In many of these cases handwritten CVs are required.
The Roses have three children – Levi Yitzchok, Elka Leah Medalie and Menachem, who is studying at the Yeshivah Gedolah in Melbourne.
The team of the seminary has been hand-picked from educators in Johannesburg and includes Rabbi Mendel and Mashi Lipskar, Rabbi Dov Ber and Dini Groner, Rabbi Yossi and Rivky Chaikin, Rabbi Yossy and Rochel Goldman, Rabbi Levi and Shterni Wineberg, Etti Klein, Rabbi Yosef and Sara Chana Kesselman, Mandy Bloch, Rabbi Reuven and Rishie Finkelstein, Rabbi Yehuda and Estee Stern, Rabbi Nataniel and Efrat Schochet, Temmi Hadar, Sara Bronstein, Rabbi Berel Rodal, Aidel Kazilsky, members of the Ash family, Chaya Chait, Yaffa Lieberow, Chanah Rose, Rochie Pink and many more “from a fountain of top people in South Africa”.
* For further information about the seminary, call Mashi Rose on 083 234 9893 or email her on info@girlsseminjoburg.co.za
Harold
April 30, 2015 at 4:17 am
‘Interesting combination , graphology and Yiddishkeit ! !’
David
April 30, 2015 at 4:29 am
‘Totally beyond my understanding in the modern era, to me as a secular, but staunch Jew in my own way.’
Choni
April 30, 2015 at 7:17 am
‘Would it not be a better idea for young girls to attend a seminary in Eretz Yisrael for one year. I know that ‘my’ own Rabbi sent his daughter there this year, and she is extremely happy. So happy that she now wants to settle in Israel.
Instead of outings to Table Bay and Durban etc, they could have outings to real \”Jewish\” places like Hebron etc.
Besides there is no future for our young boys and girls in this country.’
Choni
April 30, 2015 at 3:37 pm
‘Hello David,
Would be very interested to know what is the way of a \”secular staunch Jew\”‘
David
May 5, 2015 at 8:31 am
‘@Choni — Secular Jew means, in my opinion – a believer in the traditions of Jewdism and the pride of being Jewish , unhindered ( in my case ) by the rituals of the religious requirements and disciplines layed down by our Rabbis and living a ‘frum’ life .
I am as you see a regular boykie who has chosen to live his life in the diaspora, (whatever the word means). ‘
Choni
May 6, 2015 at 7:36 am
‘David, Thanks, I accept your explanation of a staunch secular Jew. However, no matter how staunch or secular one is, wouldn’t it be nice to know that,as a Jew, one could have the peace of mind that there is a Jewish country where one could live with it’s own government,army, education, etc, without being dependant on a host nation, where history has shown that Jews can never be secure , i.e. the Diaspora.
Regards
Choni’
Warren
May 6, 2015 at 8:45 pm
‘Is there any article anywhere on this site where Choni doesn’t turn it into a \”make Aliyah\” discussion.
It’s enough. Seriously Mr Editor, it’s enough.
From now on I’ll be getting my news elsewhere.’
Moshe
May 19, 2015 at 10:25 am
‘Is the Seminary only for Chabad girls as all the people involved are Chabad’
Choni
May 19, 2015 at 3:07 pm
‘Hi Warren,
\nThanks for your comment. If my Aliyah campaign worries you so much, I suggest you start an anti- Aliyah campaign.
\n
Or, Choni, may I respectfully suggest you take the hint from what other users are telling you on an almost daily basis, consider not harassing fellow-users of this site with your campaign to get people to make Aliyah, and take the moral high ground by leading by example, moving to Israel and THEN invite people to \”come\” home, rather than your present position of trying to tell people to \”go\” home while you remain in SA -Ed
\n
‘
Choni
May 20, 2015 at 7:45 am
‘Once again to all my antagonists.
\nAre the thousands of Israelis (including myself), who live here for whatever reason, not permitted to encourage young Jews to make Aliyah.
\n
Sorry, Choni, balance removed. If you force our hand we sill have to do as you say and ban you completely from harassing other users of this website who regularly request same – online.editor@sajr.co.za
\n
‘
Choni
May 20, 2015 at 9:20 am
‘Content removed for trolling in the worst degree. All RELEVANT, on-topic comments are encouraged. Hijacking of space to drive a private agenda is the worst kind of \”trolling\” and despised by the online community.
\n
\nonline.editor@sajr.co.za ‘
David
May 22, 2015 at 6:10 am
‘As I understand — this is a discussion site — blog site — whatever we all wish to call it .
Choni is well within his right to proliferate and regurgitate, ad infinitum, his beliefs and advice. It is understandable that some people are antagonised by his letters and message, as Warren is, — but it is
Choni’s right within this site to do so at every opportunity — as is our right to disagree with him.
I disagree with him vehemently, but cannot find any reason to silence him as this is an opinion site, and even the editor does not have that right , other than to silence hate speech etc. etc..
‘
Choni
May 22, 2015 at 10:55 am
‘Thanks David. I appreciate your comment.
Ant has been biased against me since day one nearly 6 years ago. He has threatened to ban me completely on a few occasions, and it is only through readers like you that he has failed. (see blog he wrote in Dec 2013 on this site)
Thanks again.’
Online Editor Ant Katz
May 22, 2015 at 12:34 pm
‘Hi David,
\n
\nI refer you to our COMMENT GUIDELINES and specifically the following three numbered points:
\n\n
\n2. Stick to debating the issues and respect other people’s views and beliefs. Comments launching personal attacks or that are hurtful and insulting will not be accepted.
\n
\n9. A comment that is obviously off topic – that is, unrelated to the article or contribution in question and the comments that precede it – or that clearly doesn’t contribute to the ongoing debate, may be deleted by the editorial team.
\n
\n14. If you feel that someone else has not taken these guidelines into account, please let us know at online.editor@sajr.co.za. We will deal with such issues as soon as possible. If it is necessary to remove or change published contributions, parts of contributions or comments, an explanation will be given on the page where possible.
\n
\nYou will note that the editor or moderator DOES have the right, in fact the DUTY – within our rules 2 and 9 – to act against “trolling” and “cyber-bullying” in these matters and to explain such actions on the page.
\n
\n
\nSEE: IGNORING TROLLS CAN EMBOLDEN THEM and KEEP
\nOPINIONS LEGAL & THEY’LL BE HEARD‘