The Truculent Rebbetzin

Mina Henkin's reforms in the name of tradition

"Every present moment is the beginning of the future," wrote Mina Henkin, wife of the rabbi of Šeduva, teacher of religion, and mother of four. Although she lived in this nice brick building, on the second floor above the Jewish bank, she was not in any way content with the present. There were fewer and fewer religious people around. Instead of crying and complaining about the dangerous turn the world had taken, Mina decided to do something about it: She set up a women's association dedicated to Torah reading, learning Jewish history, and charity work.

From then on, the rabbi's wife was often absent from Šeduva. She began travelling around Lithuania, convincing other Jewish women to set up similar associations. She saw that Jews throughout Lithuania were becoming distant from religion and weren't keeping Jewish traditions and customs. Indeed, their children were growing up in such an environment! Mina was firmly of the belief that she could change this, with the help of other women.

The effort paid off: Over the course of just a few years organizations of the same name, Beis Yakov, appeared in Kaunas, Telšiai, Garliava, Kelmė, Kėdainiai, and Joniškis.

Mina Henkin was a compelling woman. A real influencer of her time.

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