Leah Katz may only be in 12th Grade, but her impact far outsizes her years! Leah started an innovative learning program for girls in her Jerusalem neighborhood, connecting them more deeply to Hashem, themselves, and each other. Her program includes Chavrusas, Chaburahs, and monthly shiurim. I’ve been awed by Leah’s efforts, and knew I had to interview her for the Shavuos magazine, so she can share her Torah leadership journey with others.
Looking Deeper
What was your upbringing like, and can you tell us about your journey towards a deeper understanding of Yiddishkeit and your relationship with Hashem?
I grew up with a pretty typical Chareidi Bais Yaakov education “in Eretz Yisroel.” My Jewish learning in school mostly focused on peshat, but I remember thinking that there must be more going on here than meets the eye. I sensed there was something deeper within the Torah, but I couldn’t quite grasp it. I had a lot of questions, but many of them remained unanswered. I was spiritually frustrated.
In the summer after 9th grade, I went to a Chabad sleepaway camp in Tzfat. At the time, I knew very little about Chabad, and even less about pnimiyus haTorah. Every morning, the camp began with a class in chassidus, which was all very new for me. I had never heard any of the ideas and concepts that seemed quite elementary to most of the girls in the camp, but I was completely enthralled. I was so energized by the learning, I would stay up until the wee hours of the morning and sometimes even all night, talking to the campers and the counselors about chassidus. All I wanted to do was learn more and more. As the summer went on, my faith and passion grew, and my Judaism and my connection to Hashem was thriving. I had come into camp shaky and unsure, but I left with my soul on fire.
When you started exploring pnimiyus haTorah, what were some of the first things you learned, and how did they impact you?
One of the first sefarim I began to learn was the Tanya. To say that Tanya is a transformative sefer would be an understatement. It quite literally changed the way I view the world. One of the first concepts that I found to be life-changing, was the understanding that we have two souls: an animal soul and a G-dly soul. It was the first time I heard the concept. I suddenly understood why I did so many of the negative things that I did; it wasn’t an evil inside of me; it was my animal soul looking for survival.
I then began to learn the book “It’s All The Same To Me” (by R’ Moshe Gersht) with my friend. That was a turning point for me… I began to view myself as an extension of divine light instead of a separate, and sometimes lonely, being trying to survive. I began to see Hashem in everything. I used to see Judaism and Hashem as a part of my life, but suddenly Hashem wasn’t out there somewhere in the sky; he was right here with me! In every breath, in every interaction, every experience. He was the air in my lungs, the beating of my chest. He was the reason I opened my eyes in the morning and the reason I went to bed. Hashem stopped being a part of my life. Hashem became my life.
Building It
What made you decide to go from learning on your own to thinking, “I want to bring other girls into this?”
That’s actually a very interesting story. It all started with one phone call. A friend and I were discussing the remarkable story of a young man who, at the age of 17, opened an organization called “םישוע חמש”. It’s an organization with hundreds of volunteers who go around hospitals all over Israel making the sick happy. I remember telling my friend that I wished I could start an organization like that. I also wanted to make a difference in the world, and if he could do it at 17, then why couldn’t I at 18!? My friend and I began to dream about opening an organization, but what kind of organization exactly would we open? Then, based on my own journey, I started thinking about creating a program to help girls build their direct relationship with Hashem and see His constant presence in their lives.
Walk us through the early days. How did you find your first few chavrusos? How did you match older girls with younger ones, and what did those first learning sessions look like?
Wow. I’ll be honest, the beginning had its tough moments. At the onset, my friend and I had made a decision that it would be worth it to try to start this program even if it would only inspire one girl. You know what? Even if we weren’t zocha to reach even one girl, it would be worth it to try just for the people we would become in the process of trying. That’s the mindset we had as we started.
Finding the first few charusos was actually surprisingly easy. My friend and I sat down and made an all-inclusive list of anyone between 7th and 10th grade that we thought might be interested. Then we just started calling girls. Within 24 hours, we had 17 pairs of older and younger girls who were eager to learn! I was absolutely shocked by how beautifully our idea was received. It also proved to me just how necessary such an initiative was; the girls were thirsty, hungry for Torah! Yidden are so beautiful!!
Matching the older girls with the younger girls was the harder part…. Many hours of thought, many lists, charts, and a little trial and error went into the pairing process. But mostly Hashem just gave us a lot of help! Finally, after a few weeks, we had all the partners together. Getting the first few learning sessions going was a bit hard. Not everyone had books yet; actually, almost no one did. Not only that, but many of the older girls lacked knowledge and understanding of pnimiyus haTorah and were slightly confused as to their role in the project. I will admit that I began to doubt whether or not the program would work.
What sefarim or books are the pairs learning together, and why did you choose those? How do you decide what’s right for each pair?
The pairs are learning a very diverse range of seforim and books. We have girls learning books about the inner dimensions of tznius, such as “Reclaiming Dignity” and ”Inside Out”. We have pairs learning more basic books such as “Bilvovi” and “The Garden of Emuna.” Then we have girls who are focusing more on hisbodidus, the purpose of man in creation, and the like. Additionally, there are pairs learning more connection-based books such as “It’s All The Same To Me”, or “GPS of the soul” (which is based on Tanya), and “Attached” (one of my personal favorites). I chose these books through a very long process of trial and error. I started by going to the local bookstore and making a list of all the books that looked interesting, or that the store recommended. I then tried to do as much research as I could on the books that were recommended to me.
But I didn’t stop there. I went to my friends’ houses and made a list of the books on their shelves that seemed like they could be a food match for what we were trying to do. I asked every adult and friend I came in contact with for recommendations. Then we began to buy books, borrow books, ask for books, and raise money for yet more books. After we had a bunch of books (and sometimes even before we had the book in our hands), we would call each younger girl and read out a list of topics, such as: Tefillah, Emunah, connection to Hashem, tznius, questions of faith and more. The girl would choose a category, and then we would try to match a book that was age-appropriate. It took a lot of trial and error, and it is a constantly evolving process, but thanks to the help of Hashem, we were mostly able to pair all the girls with appropriate books.
What It’s Become
You now have around 20 pairs learning weekly, monthly gatherings, and two chaburahs. Can you paint a picture for our readers of what a typical week or month looks like in your program today?
Typically, for the first 2 weeks of the month, all the pairs try to learn together at least once a week. Every other Sunday, there’s a Tefillah chabura, and every other Thursday, there’s a chabura on relationships. During the third week of the month, a bunch of my awesome friends (the secretaries) and I start with the phone calls. We try to call every pair and find out from both girls, how many times they were able to learn together, and whether they’re enjoying the partnership and their book…then we let them know when and where the gathering will take place at the end of the month. We end each month with a gathering of all the partners together. We start with some food or desserts. Then there’s a speech followed by each pair learning their books together in person, and we end it off with a kumzitz.
What have you seen happen in the girls who participate — both the older mentors and the younger girls they’re learning with? How has this changed them?
F a personal view, I feel that I have learned more from learning with my three younger partners than I have from almost anything else in my life. Both from the beautiful insights they bring, and the beautiful people that they are. Additionally, the amazing questions they ask really make me think, and find deep answers I didn’t even know I possessed. I also noticed that for pairs connecting through learning, there are deep bonds formed that will hopefully last a long time.
As for the impact on the younger girls, Baruch Hashem, I have gotten a lot of positive feedback. Some find it supportive; some even find it life-changing. Whether it helps them deal with friends, drama, tests, tefillah, or anything else, the younger girls are growing, and their lives enriched by pnimyus Hatorah. Additionally, the personal bond between the younger and older girl has developed into a beautiful tool with which to shine the light of Hashem on all of life’s situations.
This program has also proven to me once and for all, that girls of any age can learn and teach deep, beautiful Torah.
Can you share a specific story that captures what this program is really about?
One amazing moment happened on a Sunday night, right after a Tefillah Chabura where we had been discussing Hashem’s love for us. We were learning a deep concept about how Hashem expresses His love for us through the people around us, and through our life experiences. Our bottom line was ‘the love I feel from the people around me is an extension of Hashem’s love for me because there truly is nothing outside of Hashem.’ After the chabura, I overheard a younger girl saying something in the kitchen. Someone just gave her a compliment, and she looked upwards and said, “Oh! Hashem, thank You!” This moment captured exactly what I dreamed about from the beginning! Girls are taking what they have learned and integrating it into the way they see the world, and the way they experience life.
The Hard Parts
It can’t all be smooth. What are the challenging parts of running this — logistically, emotionally, or socially?
Yes, there have been times when I was afraid the whole program wouldn’t work. The most challenging part of running the program is the consistency of the partners. Many of our girls are very busy and find it hard to find time to learn. We try different strategies to make sure that we’re learning as often as possible. Another challenge is to find the right book that will resonate with both the older and younger girls. Additionally, on a logistics level, we sometimes find ourselves overwhelmed. Especially towards the end of the month, when we are trying to make all the phone calls, we have spreadsheets with names and chavrusas that sometimes seem impossible to fill out.
Also, by the time you get through to one girl, five others call you back at the same time. When you try to call them back, no one’s available, and you can end up in an endless loop of phone tag. But what keeps me going is remembering that no matter how many girls are learning or not learning, no matter how many girls connect to their books or don’t — it is a work in progress. It is always worth it. I also remind myself that the program is already so much more developed and effective than I ever dreamed it would be.
Have you faced any pushback — from peers, from adults, from the schools or teachers? How did you handle it?
Baruch Hashem, I actually haven’t! Everyone has been extremely supportive. And I honestly could not have done it without all the support. Hashem is so good to us!! My teachers and principal love the idea and want me to come back to school next year, even though I’m graduating, to continue running the program in our school. My parents are more than happy to host every gathering, and many of my friends’ parents have sponsored a gathering or even come to speak.
The Bigger Picture
You’re a 12th grader running a program that’s impacting dozens of girls and families. What’s your message to other teenage readers who might be thinking of starting their own initiative?
Anything is possible! We are all shluchim of Hashem, so we are truly capable of anything. It doesn’t matter how old you are or how little you think you can change, you are truly capable of anything! Hashem wants to spread His light to this world; all we need to do is be open vessels to receive it. I truly think I had very little to do with this program. This is Hashem’s program, not mine. And if it is Hashem’s will, then who am I to interfere and say I’m incapable? When we are a channel for Infinity, nothing can stand in our way!
What would you tell a girl reading this article — in Yerushalayim, in Brooklyn, in London, anywhere — who also feels spiritually unsatisfied, and isn’t sure where to turn to find a deeper and more passionate relationship with her Yiddishkeit?
Firstly, I would tell her to believe in herself, to believe in the difference she could make, and that if the only person you change in the process of trying is yourself, then it’s definitely worth it! After that, it’s quite an individual answer. You could start by establishing little learning groups or chaburos with your friends, which I have found to be extremely profound and life-changing. If you don’t like learning in groups, then learning on your own or listening to classes is definitely the best starting point. You want to have a strong basis before you go out and inspire others.
Then you can proceed by trying to bring deeper content to your classes or starting a program as I did. The options are endless. Truly though, the biggest impact I have seen come out of my program has come from things I didn’t even try to organize. When you live with Hashem in your life, the people around you start to live with Him as well. So my advice would be: don’t be shy to spread your unique light in whatever way feels best to you. I truly believe that Hashem touches us with His love so that we can continue to spread it to all the other beautiful Yidden around us. You can be the light. Hashem believes in you!
This article was found in Nekuda Tova Issue 82 – Shavuos.
