Pioneering Religious Educator Rabbi Rivka Shapira Dies at 80

Rabbi Rivka Shapira, a prominent figure in religious education for women and a co-founder of the "Shuva" seminary in Ofra, has passed away. She was 80 years old.

Shapira was a veteran educator within the Religious Zionist movement. She was the mother of Rabbi Yehoshua Shapira, head of the Ramat Gan Hesder Yeshiva, and Rabbi Yitzchak Shapira.

Born in Afula, Shapira later moved to Jerusalem, where she studied at the Hebrew University. After marrying Rabbi Moshe Shapira, she taught at the Ulpana in Kfar Pines and at the "Ora" institute.

In 1984, together with her husband, Rabbi Moshe Shapira, she established the "Shuva" seminary in Ofra. Initially founded as an institute for women returning to religious observance, it evolved into an educational framework for women and girls of various ages and backgrounds.