It all started with a phone call. “I know you’re busy ” Chaya told me. “It’s silly of me to even ask you. But we’re looking for someone to teach our group once a week and we thought of you.” When I called her the next day to say yes she was overjoyed. And that was the beginning of a relationship I’ll always remember. At 70-plus Chaya had the youthful energy of a woman decades younger. She was wise spunky and radiated unconditional love. A baalas teshuvah she was still desperately trying to make up for lost time. Teachers should never have favorites but Chaya had that something special that knocked on my heart. Each time she called me “Mammele ” I melted. Every Sunday night I sat hunched over my seforim poring over mefarshim in preparation for my shiur. In name I was the teacher; I sat at the front of the ad hoc classroom with a Chumash open in front of me. But as we learned talked analyzed and laughed I became the student and they the purveyors of precious life lessons. Our classroom Chaya’s dining room was a safe place where any question or comment was worthy. The women’s insight candidness and humor made that hour the highlight of my week.