TESTIMONIALS
Why we roll.
SHAINDY JACOBSON
"The CH Women's Circle is a place filled with friends, with family, and friends who become family. It's a place built by the caring of kind hands, keen minds, warm hearts, and generous souls. It's a place that becomes home to all who enter, empowering and nourishing both body and soul. To me, the Women's Circle is an exercise in the personification of every Chossid's motto: Az men iz tzugebunden oyf oiben falt men nisht oyf unten - If one is tied up above, he will not fall below."
NAOMI SCHLEIFER
"My week consists of Shabbos and Wednesday. Without both of them, it's not complete."
MRS. STERNBERG
"I was very impressed with the sincerity and devotion of these women to chassidishkeit b'chlal and to our Rebbe b'frat! What a blessing to have this beautiful group. May there be continued hatzlocho in each and every peulah.
I met the most wonderful, chassidishe, mesiras nefeshdike young ladies on the Shabbaton."
BRACHA BARZILAI
"Shortly after the Wednesday shiur began, I suffered from a very dark (PPD) depression. On the outside, I still appeared myself. But inside, I was hurting. It was so foreign to me, naturally being a positive and outgoing person. I cried and cried every morning when my husband left to work, and felt alone and vulnerable. One big factor kept me going: The Wednesday morning shiur. I knew I'd be ok while I was in the company of my newfound friends. I literally relaxed as soon as I entered the doors, as I felt secure in everyone's company. You can imagine why I made sure to attend no matter the weather! The shiur was my lifeline and helped me pull through. BH the depression lifted, but the friendships that formed with the admirable ladies of the Circle, are still strong!"
MRS. MOROZOW
"I feel blessed to have met a beautiful side of Crown Heights. I am in awe of this lovely group of sincere women who support each other in searching for truth and in figuring out ways to implement that. I am humbled by the huge strides taken by remarkable women to develop sholom bayis and chassidishe homes.
The Rebbe has real nachas from the ahavas yisroel so evident throughout the entire Shabbaton."
NO LONGER LONELY
"It’s 4 am.
My newborn is crying. Again. I shuffle out of bed and lift him out of his crib. After a night feeding, he’s still not settling down. The clock is ticking; it’s nearing 5 am. All is quiet. The world sleeps. Except – for my baby who seems not to know that night is for sleeping. I am so, so tired. I yearn for sleep. As I pace my tiny apartment with my baby in my arms, my thoughts begin to drift… I must be the only person in the world who is up right now… Some of my friends had married and moved away. Others, some of whom had still not married, were either touring the world, or were on shlichus, or working. Enveloped in my baby’s hug, I still felt so alone. Alone with my baby on the journey called motherhood.
One year later, I’d had enough. I loved my baby to pieces, but staying home all day felt… boring. I needed to look for a job. And I did. And found one. And worked for exactly one year, for one reason only – for the adult social interactions that I sorely lacked. But it wasn’t for me.
A few years and a few children later, a friend introduced me to the Women's Circle and invited me to join her one Wednesday. As we entered the shul, Chanel’s warm greeting and Dvora’s gracious presence made me feel at home. In no time at all, I became a regular – a card-carrying Women's Circler!
With such a nice group of friends, most in the same or similar stage of life as me, we were able to relate to each other. We celebrated in each other’s simchas, and helped each other in times of need. The best part is, that this built-in support group is not based on discussions of toilet training or toddler tantrums (although advice is dispensed on those topics as well!) but it is founded on women coming together to learn chassidus. So whereas a mommy-and-me (which didn’t exist when my older ones were babies) is nice, I doubt I would keep coming back week after week, year after year. Once I’d have my sleep training down pat, I’d have no reason to return. Not so with the Women's Circle. The real toichen – the sichos and letters of the Rebbe that we learn, on the topics relating to women as akeres habayis, and our role in our children’s chinuch, schleps me back week after week for close to a decade. You can never outgrow that.
As a stay-at-home mother, I no longer feel bored, as all week, I have the Women’s Circle shiur to look forward to. Not to mention all the other wonderful events, like evening classes, melave malka, etc. When the time is right and I go back to work, it will be for any other reason except for social interaction and friendship. I have that already. Right here in the Circle."
MINNA HERSHCOPF
"I just wanted to let you know how much my daughter and I enjoy the mother-daughter learning. In our busy lives, it is very difficult to manage an hour of Mommy and daughter alone time. Yesterday, Shoshana came home after the program and said, "I was waiting all day for this!" She really had been; counting down the days since the beginning of the week. Thank you for all the incredible work you do for this community!"
MIRIAM SHERR
"Today would have been our son's 42nd birthday. He was niftar at the age of 11 from a virulent illness. I wish I had the sisterhood like you guys have years ago. You don't know how wonderful this group truly is."