Feinblum to Lead New Chabad Girls High School

The Chaya Mushka Chabad School community is bursting with excitement as it prepares to launch Chaya Mushka Girls High School (CMGHS), this fall, alongside the announcement of a dynamic leadership team, starting with Shelley Feinblum as the founding principal. With more than 15 years of experience in education and a passion for student growth, Feinblum brings a blend of warmth, professionalism, and vision to yet another chapter in the development of Chabad Schools of Atlanta.

Born and raised in South Africa, Feinblum attended Beis Rivkah Seminary in Crown Heights before returning home to complete a degree in optometry. She has since dedicated her career to Jewish education and currently serves as head of the Judaic Studies Department at Yeshiva College in Johannesburg.

A devoted mother and proud grandmother, she is valued by both students and colleagues for her thoughtful leadership and ability to inspire both academic excellence and personal growth.

“Mrs. Feinblum has a student-centered approach and a deep commitment to excellence,” said Rabbi Isser New, Dean of Chabad Schools of Atlanta. “Her leadership will be foundational in shaping the success and spirit of our new high school.”

Feinblum related her excitement about the opportunity. “I’m honored and excited to help build this school in such a fantastic community. Atlanta has a unique warmth and energy, and I look forward to working closely with the school community as we grow together, creating a space where our students can truly thrive.”

Feinblum will be joined by a team of dedicated educators:
• Mushka Kesselman will serve as Mechaneches and program director, as well as teach core Kodesh content. Known for her creativity and care for students, Kesselman will be a central figure in cultivating a nurturing and enriching school culture.
• Shluchos Laya Berendt and Devorah Leah Wineberg will bring their energy and warmth to both the high school and middle school girls, enhancing programming and building strong, positive relationships with students.

To ensure a strong foundation, Leah Sollish and Ginny Henry, principals of the Chabad Academy’s elementary and middle schools, will be closely involved in curriculum development and structural planning throughout the launch phase. Sollish shared the school’s guiding vision, “Rooted in our core values, our vision has always been to support students’ growth — academically, emotionally, and spiritually. Launching the high school is the next step in raising strong, proud Jewish women grounded in Torah and Chassidus.”

To further support the students, Dr. Pam Mason, director of counseling and student well-being, will provide special attention to the high school girls, while playing a key role in the overall development of the high school in its entirety. Some of the curricula include Chamash, Halacha, language arts, math, science, health, civics, history, business and technology, history, and more.

With an innovative and ambitious approach, Chaya Mushka Girls High School will also welcome students from across the country. Rabbi Yale New, director of development at Chabad Schools of Atlanta, emphasized this broader vision,

“We’re building a high school with the infrastructure to support students from out of town as well. A dormitory, set in a beautiful home in the scenic suburbs of Sandy Springs, and a full array of programming, will make CMGHS a vibrant, inclusive home for girls from all over.”

The school also announced that its full high school staff has been hired, with more introductions to come in the weeks ahead.

The search committee consisted of Dr. Mason, Bracha Yurkowitz, and Miriam Lipskier, all of whom Rabbi Isser New praised for their diligence in identifying the right leadership for this exciting new venture.

“We’re looking forward to an inspiring, joyful, and successful school year ahead,” said Rabbi Yossi New. “We are often asked, ‘Is there really a need for another Jewish high school?’ And the answer is that everyone acknowledges that Chabad has a unique approach towards love of G-d, Torah, and Israel (both the people and the land), that has transformed the landscape of Jewish life in America and around the world. That comes from somewhere! It comes from a focused education imbued with the teachings of the Chassidic doctrine as interpreted by the Rebbe (OBE).”

For more information, please visit http://cmghs.org.