This is the second in a series of articles on the unique lives of young Chabad-Lubavitch women.
A unique feature of the Women’s Division of the Mayanot Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem are the shluchos—the young Chabad-Lubavitch women who serve as peer mentors for the women at the institute, most of whom are discovering Torah and traditional Judaism for the first time.
Deena Schanowitz, 20 years old and a native of Chicago, has served as a shluchah at Mayanot since the fall of 2014.
Q: Before we begin, can you share a bit about yourself, your family and your education?
A: I grew up in West Rogers Park, the densely Jewish area on the North Side of Chicago. Both of my parents have taught at the local Chabad school where I went as a child. Many of my siblings are also teachers and/or Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries.
After graduating Lubavitch Girls High School in Chicago, I spent a year studying at the Beit Chana Teachers’ Seminary in Safed, Israel. In September 2014, I came to Mayanot and spent the academic year there.
Q: People wonder: What exactly is the job of a shluchah since you are both a student and a teacher at the same time? Can you describe your function at Mayanot?
A: Perhaps our primary purpose is simply to be ourselves. We learn with the women, try to add some liveliness into the atmosphere, and in the process, we develop very meaningful relationships with them. Since we are younger and less intimidating than teachers, we are often the go-to people for questions about Yiddishkeit that people don’t feel comfortable talking to the faculty about.
We also each have a specific job to take care of—whether it is arranging extracurricular activities or planning Shabbat on campus.
But then, it’s understood that our most important function is the one that cannot be put into words. One woman told me that we taught her that she can be religious and still remain “normal,” showing her that she can live life in a deeper way.
Q: What are some of the challenges that you’ve encountered?
A: In the beginning, I was intimidated by the fact that the women were so much older and more secularly educated than me. I could not understand how I would be able to teach or become friends with a lawyer or doctor five or eight years my senior.
Another challenge is the fact that the group was constantly changing. There were women who I had just begun building a relationship with who then had to return to college or their job. Some women come for so short a time that it is hard to connect to them in that quick span of time.
This also means that the group dynamics are constantly changing. We’ve therefore had to re-adjust based on the group we had. Sometimes, it was a more serious group where learning together was of primary importance, and sometimes, it was a more fun-loving group and the greatest impact can also be made on trips, tours or just by going out with the women for some ice-cream.
Q: Is this your first time interacting with girls your age who did not grow up in a religious environment?
A: “ I had a pretty insular upbringing, and the only previous interactions I had with girls my age who were not like me was when I worked as a counselor alongside junior counselors in Gan Israel camps throughout my high school years. It was challenging at first because I did not feel like I was able to relate to them on the same level I could relate to my other friends. I slowly began to relate to them more and more. It was such an eye-opening experience for me.”
Each person comes from such a different background and has so much life experience in so many areas that I would have never been exposed to. I am constantly inspired by their bravery in examining a different spiritual path. It takes guts to be different, and it is fascinating to hear about their spiritual journeys.
Q: Do you plan on keeping in touch now that the year is through, and how?
A: I definitely hope to—and have already begun to—keep in touch with the women. WhatsApp makes it very easy since we have a group with everyone who has been in Mayanot since the beginning of the year. G‑d willing, I plan to return to Mayanot for the coming year, as will quite a few of the women from last year, I believe. In addition, many graduates live in Israel now and will pop into Mayanot for a class or a chavruta [one-on-one partner Torah-study session].
Q: How have you grown through this experience?
A: There are many things I took for granted growing up. I never really questioned why I do the things I do. Being in an environment like Mayanot has forced me to question and know the reasons behind everything in Judaism. Teaching others also caused me to deepen my own understanding so that I’d be able to give the material over on a relatable and clear level.
The instructors have taught me be an independent and critical learner. I will carry this with me for the rest of my life.
I also learned a lot from the perspective of Mayanot. The teachers are incredibly devoted to the students without pushing them at all. There are hardly any rules, but there is a lot of care.
The first article in the series, “Scholarship and Help to Others: A Look into the Lives of Young Chabad Women,” can be read here.
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