“I opened the book, glanced at the page, and immediately shut it. Why did I close it so quickly? Imagine someone who eats only healthy food for years. One day, they drink a can of soda, and suddenly they feel sick. So I ask: Why are the vast majority of Lubavitcher girls’ schools still teaching limudei chol?“

By Mrs Chaya Gurevitch

I’d like to share a personal story that happened to me around 20 years ago.

I was sitting in my 5th-grade classroom when my teacher asked the class to turn to a specific page in our history textbook. I opened the book, glanced at the page, and immediately shut it. Why did I close it so quickly?

To explain, let me first share another incident that occurred around the same time. It was recess, and my classmates were enthusiastically singing a song they had learned the year before – all about the U.S. presidents. As I stood there watching, I couldn’t understand what made them so proud and excited about singing it.

You see, I had just transferred to this school. Until then, I had been taught in an environment that was al taharas hakodesh. I learned only limudei kodesh, and was raised with the understanding that all joy and excitement for a Yid should be found in kedusha. While the new school was also considered very Chassidish and highly recommended, it included limudei chol (secular studies) in its curriculum.

So when I opened the history book and saw pictures of the U.S. Civil War, I instinctively shut it. It wasn’t out of rebellion or disrespect – it was simply because I had a sensitive neshama. My neshama had been nurtured with Elokus, and when it encountered something outside of that – something purely secular – it immediately sensed that this wasn’t nourishing or beneficial for it.

Let me explain with an analogy. Imagine someone who eats only healthy food for years. One day, they drink a can of soda, and suddenly they feel sick – maybe a headache, a stomach ache, or weak legs. Why? Because their body is sensitive. It knows what’s good for it and rejects what isn’t. The same applies to our neshamos. A neshama that has been fed only kedusha becomes sensitive. When it comes across klipah, it recoils – it doesn’t want any connection to it.

For example, a girl with a sensitive neshama who goes on mivtzoim will be careful not to look at inappropriate billboards. A woman with a sensitive neshama will choose to shop in an aidel and tznius environment, if at all possible. Someone whose neshama is tuned to kedusha may easily sense the harmful effects of social media or smartphones and may choose not to use them at all.

After personally experiencing the beauty of true chinuch al taharas hakodesh, which fosters such sensitivity in the neshama, I can’t help but wish the same for all the beautiful Yiddishe meidelach of our generation. A chinuch where all the excitement, energy, and pride are rooted in Elokus! A chinuch that instills in our children a deep sense of ein od milvado, a real hiskashrus to the Rebbe, a profound love of Torah, and genuine ahavas Yisroel.

When we learn the Rebbe’s sichos and letters on this topic, it’s crystal clear that his is something the Rebbe cared about deeply. 

The Rebbe explicitly said that there is no difference between boys and girls when it comes to the importance of a pure chinuch al taharas hakodesh. In the year 5716, on Simchas Torah, the Rebbe spoke passionately about Al Taharas Hakodesh. That Teves, Rabbi Yisroel Meir Altein from Pittsburgh, went into yechidus and asked the Rebbe whether what he spoke about Al Taharas Hakodesh applies also to girls, and whether it was relevant in Pittsburgh as well. The Rebbe answered that any claim to the contrary is the counsel of the yetzer hara, and that there is no difference between boys and girls, or between New York and Pittsburgh.

In a similar vein, Rabbi Y.L. Tzeitlin asked the Rebbe whether there is a difference between boys and girls when it comes to being careful about secular studies. The Rebbe responded that although there is a distinction when it comes to Talmud Torah, regarding the tumas hamochin (defilement of the mind) caused by secular studies, there is no difference between boys and girls.

Some may say, “But didn’t the Rebbe give brachos to many schools that included limudei chol?” And that’s true. But we must understand the context. In the early years, many families would only send their children to Jewish schools if they also offered a strong secular education. Otherwise, they would choose public school. This is still the case in some out-of-town communities. But I believe that most Lubavitcher families today want the most chassidish and Yiddishe education possible for their children.

So I ask: Why are the vast majority of Lubavitcher girls’ schools still teaching limudei chol?

I believe it’s time for hanhala, educators, and parents to take a serious and honest look at the Rebbe’s words about al taharas hakodesh. If we truly care about what the Rebbe wants, we must act to ensure that our children receive a pure and holy education.

I’m confident that any school that makes this change will see immense bracha and hatzlacha. And if such a change doesn’t seem to be happening, perhaps it’s time for parents to band together and open new schools that are entirely al taharas hakodesh.

For schools that are ready to make changes but not a complete turnover yet, here are a few practical ideas for small but impactful changes schools can start with:

Start with the early years. The Rebbe emphasized many times how crucial the formative years are. Begin by adjusting the elementary curriculum before tackling high school.

Phase out secular subjects gradually. Switch one subject at a time from chol to kodesh. For example, I learned American history in both elementary and high school. We’re Yidden before we are Americans -maybe we can teach more Yiddishe history in elementary school and save secular history for high school, if at all.

Replace non-Jewish literature. Remove goyishe novels and replace them with Jewish stories and literature in English class.

Cut redundancy. Review the curriculum and identify limudei chol topics taught repeatedly across grades. For instance, the water cycle is often taught in preschool, elementary, and high school. Teach it once, and use the saved time for limudei kodesh.

Integrate secular knowledge into Jewish themes. Instead of teaching science as a full subject, include key concepts in workshops tied to the parsha or Yomim Tovim. This frees up time for more kodesh subjects.

Reduce excessive English instruction. The Rebbe wrote that too much time is spent on grammar, vocabulary, etc. Perhaps English could be taught four days a week instead of five, using the extra time for a kodesh subject.

Teach kodesh every day. Many schools teach chol on the half day Sunday. Make Sunday a day of limudai kodesh. At the very least, divide the day and include 2 kodesh subjects. 

Stick to the minimum. Many high schools aim for students to earn a Regents diploma. However many schools require students to pass a lot more then the minimum requirement. For example while only one foreign language is required, schools often teach both Hebrew and Spanish. Let’s leave out the extras.

Make kedusha exciting! Replace secular competitions like spelling bees with Halacha bees or quizzes on inyanei kedusha.

These are just a few ideas. I’m sure every school can come up with a plan that works for their unique situation.

Let’s raise children whose neshamos are so finely tuned that they naturally crave kedusha and instinctively recoil from anything that isn’t. Let’s give them the gift of a truly pure education – one that will shape who they are and who they become.