The Rohr Jewish Learning Institute (JLI) has launched a new course on Taharas Hamishpacha dedicated to the memory of Rebbetzin Rochele Fogelman, a”h, the pioneering Shlucha who built Jewish life in Worcester, Massachusetts, for 78 years.

JLI announced the project on the occasion of her first yahrzeit, 7 Cheshvan, generously sponsored by Rabbi Shmuel and Shterna Fogelman from Los Angeles.

A ready-to-teach course for every Shliach and Shlucha
The course comes from JLI’s Rosh Chodesh Society and the lessons build from the foundations of marriage to the mitzvah of Taharas Hamishpacha. The first lesson explores the Jewish definition of a soulmate. The next lesson challenges the common idea that holiness requires rejecting the physical, and presents intimacy between husband and wife as one of the holiest human endeavors. And the final lesson offers a primer on the what, how, and why of Taharas Hamishpacha, the benefits it brings to a marriage, and the deeper meaning of immersion in the mikvah.

JLI designed the course to fit the many settings where Shluchim and Shluchos teach. Instructors can lead large formal classes, gather a few people around their Shabbos table, learn one-on-one, or prepare chassanim, kallahs, and couples. The final lesson can pair with a tour of the local mikvah.

Each lesson runs about an hour. The teacher’s manual includes timed outlines, key questions, section breakdowns, and additional features, and JLI supplements it with videos, PowerPoint slides, and lesson recordings.

“Shluchos tell us again and again that these lessons change how their students see marriage, and many begin keeping Taharas Hamishpacha after the course,” said Mrs. Shaindy Jacobson, director of the Rosh Chodesh Society. “Rebbetzin Fogelman spent her life bringing this mitzvah into Jewish homes. We are grateful to her family for helping us carry that work forward.”

A legacy of Shlichus in Worcester

In 1947, the Frierdiker Rebbe sent Rebbetzin Fogelman and her husband, Rabbi Hershel Fogelman, a”h, to Worcester. Together they kindled Jewish life in the city for nearly eight decades. They built a yeshiva and a day school and founded Bais Chana, a girls’ high school the Rebbe named for his mother, Rebbetzin Chana.

Rebbetzin Fogelman organized and taught classes for the women of Worcester and became a sought-after speaker across the United States, Europe, and Australia. With wisdom and warmth, and a rare gift for making Torah accessible and meaningful, she educated and inspired generations of women and families.

The new course continues a thread that ran through her Shlichus. At the Rebbe’s direction, she spoke to women about Taharas Hamishpacha and mikvah, and her women’s discussion groups helped lead Worcester to build a new mikvah.

“Her life of devoted Shlichus, Jewish education, and community building remains an enduring source of inspiration to Shluchos throughout the world,” said Rabbi Efraim Mintz, executive director of JLI, in the course announcement.

“Through this initiative,” Rabbi Mintz continued, “Rebbetzin Fogelman’s lifelong commitment to bringing the beauty and wisdom of Torah into Jewish homes will continue to illuminate and inspire future generations.”

Shluchim and Shluchos can learn more by contacting the Rosh Chodesh Society via email at [email protected] or by phone at 718-221-6900.