OTS Jennie Sapirstein student places first in national Torah-writing competition
Congratulations to 8th grader Bat-Ami Altshuler of the OTS Jennie Sapirstein Junior High and High School for girls in Ramot, who took first place in the national Chemed (State-Religious Educational track) Torah-based writing competition!
Out of 21 students who made it to the finals, six are students in the OTS Jennie Sapirstein school. This is due in large part to the expert direction of the school’s rabbanit, Rachel Vachtfogel, who encouraged the students to take part and make their voices heard.
“I have long believed that the next step toward women’s advancement in the world of Torah and halakha must involve writing. It seems that many women are afraid of it, which is why I am full of joy and pride in my students who chose to enter the Torah-writing competition. These girls will go far and raise the bar in terms of Torah learning,” said Vachtfogel. “Over the past few months, nine of my students have invested incredible amounts of time and energy into deciphering difficult texts, analysis and writing on a professional level. All the beautiful values we aspire to educate our children and students have been expressed – love of Torah, hard work, curiosity, perseverance, willpower, coping with difficulties (and sometimes despair), independence, ability to seek help, humility, self-worth and gratitude. For me – they are all winners.”
Students’ entries:
- Ruti Grumet (7th grade) – An examination of the source forbidden playing music on Shabbat and the permission for playing in the beit hamikdash
- Yael Sagi and Efrat Sarangi (7th grade) – Why the sages created boundaries in halakha. Case study: waiting six hours between meat and milk.
- Bat Ami Altshuler (8th grade) – Doctors’ strikes in halakha
- Shoham Grossman (8th grade) – Women saying mourners’ Kaddish
- Yuval Tropper (9th grade) – Use of an electric wheelchair on Shabbat
- Ori Ben Shitreet (9th grade) – The requirement to vaccinate in accordance with halakha
- Noa Cohen-Solel (9th grade) – Treatment of animals in accordance with the Torah and halakha
- Yaara Neeman (9th grade) – Democracy according to the Torah: is it from the outset (l’chatchila)? Or in retrospect (b’diavad)?
