Igrot Kodesh · Letter 56 — Jewish Girls' Education & Women's Activism

By the grace of Hashem,

1 Adar II 5703,

To the very dear president, Mrs. B. Shifrin, and to the members of the women's department of the mutual aid fund of Jembin, in Brooklyn,

I greet you and bless you,

We acknowledge with gratitude receipt of your check for ten dollars for the benefit of the Beth Rivkah* girls' school of Chester Street, which belongs to the school network founded by the Merkaz LeInyonei Chinuch.

We express the wish that this aid not be exceptional or incidental, but rather that it mark the beginning of a perpetual interest and collaboration in the sacred and capital work of the Beth Rivkah school, an institution devoted to the religious education of Jewish girls.

Very dear women, in this difficult period for our people of Israel, we must remember what took place at the time of the first Haman who rose against the Jews.

The divine salvation and the fall of Haman were then brought about by a man and a woman, Esther and Mordechai.

Esther disregarded her personal comfort, the fact that she was not personally in danger. She did not hesitate to risk her life to save her brothers and sisters.

But before entering into battle against the decree of Haman, she said to Mordechai: "Go, gather all the Jews," in order to pray together.

Our Sages relate that Mordechai gathered tens of thousands of Jewish children and taught them Torah.

In this time of persecution, a powerful Haman has again risen, but assuredly he will also meet a bitter end. Then the Jews will have "light and joy." However, each of us must act so that this happens as quickly as possible.

Every Jewish woman must adopt the motto: "go, gather" the Jewish children and youth, in order to educate them, in a spirit of self-sacrifice, in Judaism and Torah. We, Jewish women, will ensure that the means to operate the institutions are not lacking. But let our children be conscious Jews, faithful to the Torah of Israel!

Such a commitment is of a nature to bring about the rapid fall of the Haman of each era.

Very dear women, ensure that your daughters follow your example, by receiving the proper Jewish education in schools capable of providing it. Ensure that these institutions have the means to exist and to increase their enrollment, so that no Jewish girl remains outside this structure.

In the Beth Rivkah schools, Jewish girls receive the education that enables them to become sisters and wives who are proud and faithful to the spirit of Torah, the mothers of the coming generation. Consequently, by helping these schools, you ensure the future of our youth and our accomplishments.

By this merit, we will be able to bring about very rapidly the fall of the current Haman and receive true joy and light.

With my blessing of immediate Teshuvah, immediate deliverance,

For Rav Menachem Schneerson,

Director of the executive committee [1],

N. Mindel, secretary [2]