At Machon Chaya Mushka, a leading educational institution of the Jewish Community of Dnipro for girls, the main theme of the 5787 school year was chosen to be the concept of “Kod HaNetzach” (“The Code of Eternity”), received by the Jewish people in the Holy Torah and revealed by generations of sages and in the teachings of Chassidus. In order for the students to feel the scale of this majestic process reflected in the theme of the year, the implementation of several special programs has begun, including the “Researcher of the Week” project, which enables each girl to independently explore various aspects of Jewish tradition and present the results of her work to the entire Machon.
To participate in the “Researcher of the Week” project, the girls sign up in a special table, independently choosing the week when they wish to present their research. Each participant receives an envelope with an individual assignment and detailed instructions for its completion. The theme of the research can be a weekly Torah portion, one of the mitzvos, a Jewish holiday, or a Chassidic story.
The student’s task is not merely to retell the material studied but to find something especially interesting in it, to formulate a question, and to prepare an answer to it. The girl formats the results of her research in the form of a colorful poster, which must present the chosen theme to the other Machon students in a visual and accessible way.
A special stand has been allocated for the project at the Machon, on which the photograph of the “Researcher of the Week” herself and the poster she prepared are displayed. Thus, the results of individual work become accessible to all the students, who can become acquainted with their friend’s research and learn something new. For the completed assignment, each participant receives a sweet gift.
The project helps the girls develop the skills of independent work, learn to formulate questions, find answers, systematize the knowledge gained, and present it to others. At the same time, each research work becomes part of the general educational program “The Code of Eternity,” dedicated to the immutability of the Torah and its mitzvos, which the Jewish people have preserved since the Giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai.
“The theme of ‘The Code of Eternity’ is very deep and multifaceted, and the ‘Researcher of the Week’ project gives each girl the opportunity to perform a specific small task that will become part of a great collective work,” noted Rachel Milman, director of Machon Chaya Mushka. “This not only allows one to develop the skills of independent research work but also gives the opportunity to present one’s work to friends, so that out of small particles a single great panorama of our understanding of the theme of the year is assembled. Such large-scale work, like all the activity of our Machon, can be carried out only thanks to the constant care and support of our beloved united and cohesive Jewish Community of Dnipro under the leadership of Chief Rabbi Shmuel Kaminezki.”
