BDE: Mrs. Chaya Laine, 80, OBM
With great sadness we report the passing of Mrs. Chaya Laine OBM, a beloved educator and longtime member of the Bais Rivkah High School administration in Crown Heights. She passed away on Wednesday, the 27th of Elul, 5786.
She was 80 years old.
Mrs. Laine devoted more than five decades of her life to chinuch, including nearly four decades at Bais Rivkah, where she served as a teacher and principal of the General Studies Department. She was a beloved mentor to thousands of students, known for her warmth, vibrancy, wisdom and unwavering commitment to helping every student succeed.
A Bais Rivkah alumna herself, Mrs. Laine pursued higher education with the Rebbe’s approval. After teaching English at a Bais Yaakov school, she received a call from Rabbi Yehuda Leib Groner, on behalf of Rabbi Hodakov, informing her that the Rebbe wanted her to teach at Bais Rivkah.
For Mrs. Laine, the Rebbe’s direction carried profound significance. She accepted the opportunity with complete devotion and dedicated herself wholeheartedly to Bais Rivkah and its students.
Over the years, Mrs. Laine played a pivotal role in establishing and developing Bais Rivkah’s General Studies Department. Under her leadership, the department pursued a high standard of academic excellence while remaining firmly aligned with the Rebbe’s vision and directives.
In a 2023 tribute marking more than 50 years of Mrs. Laine’s work in education, it was recalled that during her tenure, the percentage of students successfully earning state diplomas rose dramatically, with the passing rate reaching close to 90 percent. The Rebbe had emphasized that Bais Rivkah should strive for the highest level of achievement that would enable its students to receive a state diploma.
Yet for Mrs. Laine, education was about far more than academic achievement. She had a remarkable ability to recognize students who needed additional support and would often go far beyond what was expected of her. When students required tutoring but their families could not afford it, she would quietly arrange for tutoring and personally cover the expense, ensuring that financial circumstances would not stand in the way of a girl’s success.
Her influence extended far beyond the classroom. Many of the students she taught went on to become educators and shluchos of the Rebbe, serving Jewish communities around the world.
In 2020, after decades of service, Mrs. Laine transitioned from her position as principal of the High School General Education Department to serve as a consultant to the department, continuing to lend her experience and guidance to the faculty. Bais Rivkah expressed its gratitude for the “integral role” she had played in the growth and success of the high school.
In 2023, her family, colleagues and former students gathered to honor her remarkable five decades in chinuch, in a celebration she had unknowingly helped plan herself.
Mrs. Laine is survived by her husband, Rabbi Eliezer Laine; and children; Mrs. Sara Jacks (Johannesburg, South Africa), Rabbi Sholom Laine (Lauderhill, FL), Rabbi Levi Laine (Crown Heights), and Rabbi Menachem Mendel Laine (Crown Heights).
She was predeceased by her son, Rabbi Peretz Laine OBM.
The levaya will take place Thursday, with the procession passing by Bais Rivkah High School, 310 Crown Street, at approximately 12:20 p.m. Alumnae and former students are encouraged to join the levaya as it passes the school that was so central to Mrs. Laine’s life and legacy.
Shiva information to be announced.
Boruch Dayan Hoemes
