Jewish Women’s Conference renamed to honor Tichyeh Schochet

Tichyeh Schochet

The Jewish Women’s Conference has been a regular date on my calendar for nine years.  It’s no ordinary day when a kaleidoscope of Jewish women from all backgrounds, in all variety of dress and hairstyles, learn Torah together.  

Together, the women also talk about marriage, which, not surprisingly, presents the same challenges, rigors and pleasures no matter who you are, and listen to speakers. One such speaker was Reyna Simnegar, who was raised Catholic in Venezuela and spoke about uncovering her hidden Sephardic roots and how she came to write a Persian cookbook. Another year the leader of OneFamily spoke about defending victims of terror in Israel.

What will be radically different at the Nov. 22 meeting will be the absence of vibrant organizer and founder Tichyeh Schochet.  With her dynamism and curiosity, Schochet created the conference for women to learn, grow and investigate our spiritual place in the world. 

Last year, while sick from chemotherapy for breast cancer, she was still writing and organizing the schedule, making sure there would be gifts, touches of luxury and a good lunch. Schochet passed away just months later, in March 2015, at age 42.

Always frank about her illness, Schochet often spoke at the conferences about one of her favorite topics: gratitude. Tichyeh Schochet lived and breathed gratitude in all her gestures, and when she talked about it, she was blunt and to the point: The complexities of life, the whys, the worries, the suffering, while acknowledged, were balanced by a courage that stemmed from her clear faith.

One year her talk was so funny, disarming and moving, I suggested she take it on the road. She shrugged her shoulders – she’d heard that said many times. Schochet was part comedienne with her wise-cracking wit and spitfire responses – but they were never put-downs but rather “put-rights.”  

Schochet was also observant - she was a quick study, sizing up people in a way that gave her a deep understanding of human nature. 

She was a teacher for more than 20 years, most recently at the New England Academy of Torah, where she was also the head of school.

In the summer of ‘13 we took many bus rides together through Israel on a trip sponsored by the Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project.  We were women in sheitels and scarves, in shorts and T-shirts.   

With Tichyeh, I shared that I sometimes felt judged for being considered secular, just as Tichyeh told me she felt judged for being considered too religious. That is the raison d’etre of the women’s conference – to reach across borders to all Jewish women. “Secular” Jewish women are welcomed as well as the religious.  

In Schochet’s memory, organizers have renamed the annual event The Tichyeh Schochet Memorial Conference for Jewish Women. 

Educator Aliza Bulow, the keynote speaker at this year’s conference, uses the term “pre-denominational” as a model for the potential of Jewish unity. A fascinating woman with deep history, learning and sensitivity, Bulow has been a Jewish educator for more than 30 years. 

As a child she worked with her parents in the Civil Rights movement, and at 16 went her own way in converting to Judaism. She has a son who took his own life and a daughter who married a paraplegic. She will be speaking about suffering, anger management and her journey.

After the keynote address, participants will attend talks on topics such as parenting with love and seeking inner peace.  Not all seminars center on spirituality: participants can also choose sessions on topics such as enhancing everyday photography and improving fitness. 

The conference is a perfect day for Jewish women to share, relax, learn and remember Tichyeh Schochet.

The Tichyeh Schochet Memorial Conference for Jewish Women is Nov. 22, 9:30-2:30 p.m., at the Dwares Jewish Community Center, in Providence. To register, please go to providencekollel.org or call 401-273-3923.

JILL PEARLMAN of  Providence writes nonfiction, poetry and fiction. Visit her blog at jillpearlman.com.