SKA’s sh’miras ha’lashon student committee PAUSE (Pausing and Understanding Speech’s Effect) ran a special program on Tuesday, December 6, featuring noted speaker Mrs. Toba Shiffrin and inspiring workshops for the entire student body.
After watching an impressive video on the potency of speech from the Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation, the students listened as Mrs. Shiffrin, who noted how “words have the power to define reality.” Just by reframing, one can change one’s attitude and direction. In an entertaining and positive talk, Mrs. Shiffrin went on to exhort the girls to learn the rules of sh’miras ha’lashon; she explained that this knowledge would help cause fewer transgressions and less harm.
The girls then separated into several classrooms, moderated by faculty members, to watch student-produced videos depicting different scenarios of lashon ha’ra “traps” starring actual SKA girls, and then discussed what they had seen. The impact of the program was immediate, as many girls commented on how much they were affected by both Mrs. Shiffrin and the videos.
PAUSE WhatsApp chats and monthly PAUSE sessions are some of the ways in which the program continues to influence SKA students’ speech on an ongoing basis.
Our thanks go to Limudei Kodesh teacher Mrs. Sheva Mezei, founder of PAUSE, and her student committee for their significant work.