About

Rebbetzin Esther Piekarski is a Chabad emissary in Tel Aviv, an international lecturer, a kallah teacher and a premarital counselor. Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and raised in New York, she lives in Tel Aviv and teaches in both Hebrew and English.

Her story

Esther was born in Rio de Janeiro, the third of six children. Her maiden name is Chitrik. Her parents, Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Chitrik and Rebbetzin Rivkah (née Karasik), of blessed memory, were the Rebbe\u2019s emissaries in Brazil for about eight years, building a synagogue, a cheder and a camp there; COLlive describes her father as the first emissary the Rebbe sent. Her maternal grandfather, Rabbi Eliezer Karasik, founded Chabad of Tel Aviv in 1935 under the Previous Rebbe.

When she was five the family moved to New York, and Esther grew up in the Rebbe\u2019s neighborhood of Crown Heights, studying at Beth Rivkah and praying at 770. In her life story she recalls the food packages the children secretly delivered every Thursday to families in need. At her bat mitzvah she wrote to the Rebbe and received a reply, a letter she still keeps.

At the start of twelfth grade she left high school to spend two years at the Beth Rivkah seminary in Kfar Chabad, where she also worked as a dormitory counselor. At seventeen she had a private audience (yechidus) with the Rebbe and told him she was afraid of the role. He answered that it was good she was afraid, because it meant she understood how important the role was, and he blessed her with success.

After returning to the United States she married Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Piekarski, in 5736, and taught high school in New York while completing her own matriculation. The couple wanted to go on shlichus. They signed up for the group of emissaries the Rebbe planned to send to Tzfat, and the Rebbe circled their names. They had only five days to prepare and traveled to Israel in 5737. They lived in Tzfat for two years; then, when the Rebbe asked the emissaries to spread out across the country, they moved to Tel Aviv.

Since 1980 they have co-directed Chabad of North Tel Aviv together. In 2017 Rabbi Shneur and Leah Piekarski joined the work. Her story in her own words (Hebrew) is on the Ravdori site, as is a second story of hers.

What she does

• A certified Mikvah.org kallah teacher in Israel (endorsing rabbi: Rabbi Menachem Mendel Gluckowsky, Rehovot) and a mentor to kallah teachers. According to Mikvah.org she has been a kallah teacher and lecturer for over 45 years. See the kallah teaching & mentoring page.
• Premarital counselor for the Ministry of Religious Services, teaching brides and grooms.
• A founding member of the Mikvah.org Pure Helpline (launched March 2024), and part of its administration. Sources: Anash and Mikvah.org.
• At the Knesset session devoted to Taharat HaMishpacha, on 4 Tammuz 5785 (summer 2025), she presented the helpline and called for a similar line in Israel for Hebrew speakers. See the talks and events timeline.
• Lectures at conferences, seminaries and communities around the world, in Hebrew and English.
• Previously served as principal of Midreshet Pnimiyut in Ramat Aviv, a seminary for girls from abroad.

What she teaches

Shalom bayit and marriage, family purity, education, the weekly parsha and haftarah, the holidays, Eishet Chayil and Shir HaShirim. Browse the lesson library, or see her videos, podcasts and articles on other sites: Articles & Media.

• Shalom Bayit & Marriage
• Taharat HaMishpacha
• Chinuch (Education)
• Parsha & Haftarah
• Holidays & Megillot
• Eishet Chayil
• Shir HaShirim
• Faith & Jewish Thought

Invite her to speak

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