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Jan. 27, 2006
Teaching young women
VHA is an option for traditional teenaged girls.
KELLEY KORBIN
While there are numerous educational options open to elementary
school girls, until recently, families who wanted a traditional
Orthodox high school education for their daughters had to travel
as far away as Toronto or Denver to get it.
Now, the Vancouver Hebrew Academy (VHA) High School for Girls, which
runs out of two cozy classrooms at the Schara Tzedeck Synagogue,
offers an integrated program of general and Judaic studies for high
school-aged girls. The program is a companion to the Pacific Torah
Institute (PTI), where teenage boys study under the traditional,
text-based Orthodox model.
PTI brought Rabbi Shalom Meltzer to Vancouver from New York to run
the girls' program. He currently spends half his time as principal
of the girls' high school and the rest of his time at PTI.
Meltzer said the school currently has only four students, but he
has plans to grow the program and even hopes to attract students
from Alberta or Washington state.
"This is entirely possible," said Rabbi Don Pacht, head
of school for VHA, "because we're the only girls' school in
our niche within 1,000 kilometres."
Meltzer said the school "appeals to families that want to give
a strong Judaic background to their daughters." The program's
goal is to educate and inspire the girls, so they will develop a
lifelong thirst for Jewish learning.
VHA High School for Girls offers the required British Columbia curriculum
in addition to in-depth, text-based, Judaic studies. The religious
studies differ somewhat from what is offered to the boys at PTI,
as the girls' curriculum focuses more on the prophets, while the
boys focus more on learning the Talmud.
Pacht said the girls' curriculum provides the students with the
practical and ethical lessons to help them shape the future, while
the boys' curriculum is focused more on preparing for the rabbinate.
The four Judaic studies teachers and one general studies teacher
provide a substantial course load for the high school girls, who
attend classes from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
Grade 8 student Rachel Wosk said that on top of this, they also
receive a lot of homework, "but there's a lot of classes, so
we expect that." Nevertheless, she is enjoying her studies.
"I especially like dinim class, it's about Jewish laws,"
said Wosk. "We have interesting discussions and we can ask
whatever questions we want."
Classmate Tova Feigelstock said that students are currently learning
the 39 laws of Shabbat, some of which she never knew before, like
the prohibition on braiding your hair or squeezing a tea bag on
the Sabbath. She explained the reason for the prohibitions is that
you're not allowed to separate things on Shabbat.
The students said they are even going home and teaching their parents
some of the things they have learned at school.
But it's not all hard work. The students have also enjoyed laser
tag and go-carting field trips. And there are plans for an upcoming
rock- climbing adventure. Pacht explained, "Traditional Orthodox
education does not draw curtains on the rest of the world, but teaches
how to interact within it."
The school is becoming well-integrated with the Orthodox community
in Vancouver and it has recruited mentors for its students –
young women who attend field trips and other events with the girls.
Also, in an attempt to broaden its reach, the school has begun welcoming
members of the public to attend a regular Psalms class.
VHA High School for Girls has a liberal entrance policy and does
not ask families about their level of observance, but it does expect
that each of its students is ideologically committed to the values
it teaches.
Pacht hopes the school will "grow into the final piece of the
educational puzzle in Vancouver."
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