Sinensky comes to �鶹���� after having served as a yoetzet halacha in the greater Philadelphia area, Atlanta and Riverdale. (She will begin serving as yoetzet halacha for the Teaneck community beginning in July). She also served as an adviser and educator for the sexuality/intimacy curriculum for Atlanta Jewish Academy, and has taught similar courses at Ma’ayanot and Kohelet Yeshiva. As an educator, Sinensky says she likes to lead a very student-driven class, creating a safe space for them to ask questions and receive accurate answers to their questions.

“The main goal of the class is for our teenagers to be exposed to information about their bodies, intimacy, sexuality and relationships, in a context where they get all the facts—real facts—coming from a trusted, knowledgeable adult with a Torah perspective on all these things,” said Sinensky. “A lot of our kids get information from many other places and a lot of that information is not true or distorted,” said Sinensky. “It is crucial for our developing teenagers right now, and as they enter into marital relationships, that they’re not coming in with misconceptions that may negatively impact their intimate relationships; rather, they should bring with them an accurate and proper Torah perspective on the role of intimacy to set them up going forward.”

Sinensky hopes that this education will reinforce the students’ desire to learn about and keep the halachot of taharat hamishpacha in the future. “We want our students to have a positive experience from relatable role models so they will want to learn more when the time comes, so they can observe these laws,” she said.

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Bursztyn’s interest in women’s rights issues inspired �鶹���� junior grade dean Maren Scharf to nominate her for the competitive internship. Now, Bursztyn is one of 21 girls taking part in the program, including two from Catholic schools and the rest from various public schools in Bergen County. She is the only yeshiva high school student in the program this year.

The Junior Commission meets monthly to study various issues affecting women in Bergen County—such as domestic violence, cyberbullying, healthy relationship awareness, childcare and women in the workforce—and takes on a public service project over the course of the year. This year’s junior commissioners will launch a teen pregnancy prevention campaign.

Bursztyn says she is particularly looking forward to action-based events scheduled for the remainder of the year: a feminine hygiene products drive for women in homeless shelters; a clothing drive for victims of human trafficking; a gift drive for female victims of domestic violence and their children currently living in the Center for Hope and Safety; Habitat for Humanity home construction; and the commission’s upcoming Women’s History Month celebration in March, which will honor three women who have overcome professional obstacles and whose 2018 theme will be “Nevertheless She Persisted: honoring women who fight all forms of discrimination against women.”

Bursztyn expressed appreciation for the internship’s organizers, and spoke highly of her fellow interns, whom she described as intelligent, welcoming and compassionate individuals. “Our fundamentals are the same,” she said. “They want to help people and empower women. They’re very nice people, and ba’alot chesed.”

“I hope future �鶹���� kids do this internship too,” added Bursztyn, who says she is interested in pursuing activism on behalf of women’s and minority rights in the future. “It’s an amazing opportunity, as well as an opportunity for a great kiddush Hashem.”

Bursztyn believes that many issues affecting women in the general population also affect women within the Jewish community. “Domestic violence, for example, is also an issue within the Jewish community, but it is slightly more taboo in the Jewish community,” she said. “Both communities have a long way to go before these issues are solved; we need to talk about it more before we can witness change.” Concurrently, Bursztyn views the Jewish community as a great potential resource for women in crisis, noting examples of everyday acts of chesed that are so commonplace in Jewish communities. “I think the Jewish community would be a great place for women in need to turn to for help, because our community is so loving,” she said.

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