Girls School Begins 3rd Year

Communicated Content:

“Ateres Chayah” – Chasidish school for girls in Crown Heights just started its 3rd year, in a new and bigger building, located at 242A Albany Avenue.

Below is an interview with Mina Leah Levine (718-213-0668, AteresChayah.com) who started and runs the “Ateres Chayah” school.

Why did you start the “Ateres Chayah” school?
The Chabad community in and near Crown Heights has Boruch Hashem grown, and the existing girls schools are full to capacity.
It created a need to open an additional girls school in order to cater to those families who wish to educate their children by pure Chasidic methods, and in an environment that would allow to reach each child.

Why did you call your school by the name of “Ateres Chayah”?
“Ateres” is a “crown”, every child is the daughter of the king Hashem – it means that we have to respect and take great care of every child.
“Chayah” is the name of the Rebbetzin Chayah Mushka Schneerson.
“Chayah” means “liveliness”. The Rebbe taught us to study Torah and educate children with liveliness and constant happiness.

What is your vision for the “Ateres Chayah” school?
My vision is that every child should succeed!
That every child should constantly have a stream of successes, which will empower her to use her talents in order to contribute to her fellow Jews.
And that she should succeed in always marching in the correct path of Torah and Chasidus with love and joy.

How do you manage to succeed with each and every child?
Every child is different and understands in his own unique way. We teachers therefore have to teach in various ways, using the five senses in order to be sure that each student will feel part of the lesson. For example: When I teach about the tent of Avrohom and Sarah, we build a tent with the students in the park, they get dressed up into the characters of the Parsha and they act their part, we add arts & crafts, baking, cooking, a game etc. It makes the girls feel close to the Parsha story in an enjoyable way.

Our goal is to find successes in every opportunity, whether it be talents, good manners, positive and cheerful talk, good behavior, achievements and progress.

We have to verbalize the successes of the girls and encourage with positive reinforcement. Which is also done by starting out each lesson by making the students feel successful with the knowledge they already know, and by not testing before you are sure that your student knows it all perfectly.

We have a special and successful method for teaching Alef-Beis and Kriah. Learning Kriah by us is a very pleasant experience – causing the kids to like Alef-Beis and Kriah. Lessons are done in two ways: one-on-one and in a group setting. Kids taught with this approach can on average master the basic reading skills within 2-3 months!

How does a young mother succeed in opening a school?
I always thank Hashem for giving me the merit, strength and willpower, in order to succeed in this important Shlichus, and for surrounding me with many helpers as my husband, his parents, my parents, my sisters and brothers, devoted parents and teachers and last and most importantly my 8 kids (בליע”הׁ) and my students.

Leah Levine is a teacher with experience as a teacher for over a decade in Israel and Crown Heights in kindergarten, Elementary and Seminary.
She is the 13th out of 17 children who are involved in Chinuch and Shlichus.