Community Magazine July 2012

“These are Our Daughters” At the premier girls’ school, located in West Long Branch and led by the esteemed Dean , Rabbi Shmuel Choueka, 220 girls from preschool through grade 12 receive a well-rounded education in what Mrs. Giordana Shalom, a parent of girls in the eleventh, seventh and fourth grades describes as a warm, secure and happy environment. Whether he’s speaking about girls learning how to run their own homes or developing their writing talents, Rabbi Choueka clearly has a vision of the future role his students will play in the community and in society, and he expresses it passionately. “These are our daughters,” he says, “who will be someone’s wife, maybe your daughter-in-law… the mothers of the next generation…” Rabbi Choueka speaks with palpable excitement as he announces with pride BYJS’s plans to buy their building from the bank, thereby ensuring that this beautiful facility, perfectly geared to the needs of the girls, will remain in the community to benefit future generations. On Sunday, July 22, the school will be hosting an open house, inviting the whole community to take part in this exciting project of securing the continuity of our heritage. Everyone will be able to see the building and the rooms that are available for dedication, along with a video showing highlights of BYJS’ exciting educational programs. Rabbi Choueka adds that community leaders who have supported the school in the past will be on hand, along with those “who plan to seize the opportunity now to invest in the future and have their names engraved for eternity.” PhoToS BY: moRRiS aNTEBi A group of sixth-grade students were whispering together about a girl who was no longer in their immediate circle of friends, plotting behind her back. The girl’s mother was in tears, but not for the reasons youmight think… The students attend Bet Yaakov of the Jersey Shore and were planning a surprise Bat Missva party for a girl who had left the school. They knew her family would not hold any celebration in honor of the milestone event, so they got together, cooked and baked, and invited their former classmate over to mark the occasion. Several years later, they still keep in touch even though they attend different schools. This unusual sounding story represents some of the rather usual lessons that characterize the education at Bet Yaakov of the Jersey Shore. dEBBiE CohEN 54 Community magazine