A Most Unique School Photo

They say, “Every picture tells a story.” This picture tells 435 stories…

The story of a family who have been stuck in quarantine since March last year due to an immunocompromised health condition…
The story of Rachel who has no Jewish school nearby but wanted to learn …
The story of two sisters who were looking for more meaning and depth than what their local option can offer…
The story of Jewish children from all types and stripes having access to a top notch Jewish education…

While each story and child is unique, they share something in common with each other: The story of close to 500 students logging into their Nigri International Jewish Online School classroom to learn Torah, connect with classmates and become better people.

“When I look at this picture, I don’t just see faces. I see students who represent their entire city, filling their area of the world with Torah study and sparks of light,” said Mrs. Mushkie Lipsker, curriculum and program director, who was the “photographer” for this school photo. “I see Dubai being filled with Parsha songs, and Alef Beis being learned in Warsaw. I see empowered students lighting up the world, with the knowledge and power they get from our school.”

“We have students from 9 countries, as far away as Kiev and Chile, and students from 29 states in North America,” said Mrs. Bassie Shemtov, director. “Students can choose between an authentic text-based Torah education or a weekly Jewish enrichment where students explore Jewish holidays and values and gain a love for their heritage. The different options allow us to cater to every single Jewish student in the world, no matter their zip code or academic level.”

The picture was shown to students at the end-of-year Rosh Chodesh event, and the chat flooded with excitement: “I found myself!” “You’re there!” Though many students have been isolated at home, this photo really makes the children feel that they are part of a larger community. The students also received their individual school photos and their class photos in the mail, so they can have a lasting permanent souvenir of the school year.

The Nigri International Jewish Online School is a division of the Shluchim Office and a sister school to the well-known Nigri International Shluchim Online School.