Last November we were introduced to the now 26-year-old Rabbi Yael Buechler, who made headlines for her (yeah, we’ll make this joke again) unorthodox way of teaching the Torah to her students. In a program called “Midrash Manicures,” she has her students come up with nail art to illustrate their understanding of certain stories and teachings. It’s been a runaway success at the Jewish day school where she teaches in suburban New York, and she’s since expanded: She is now selling Hanukkah-themed nail art decals for those of us who may find drawing a menorah on our pinkie a bit challenging.

We chatted with Buechler about her favorite nail art tools and polishes, the expansion of her program, and how she responds to detractors.

Fashionista: After the NYT article did you have other schools contacting you to implement similar programs?
Rabbi Yael Buechler: Absolutely. A number of rabbis and Jewish educators contacted me to say they’d like to do a similar program and I actually created a curriculum. A few schools are actually implementing it right now, and some have even sent me photos. It’s a very exciting time and the [NYT] article helped garner a lot of publicity for this new method of education in general.

When you send the curriculum, do you also send nail art tips and product recommendations?
Yes! Several pages of the curriculum contain details as to how to do the nail art, specifically what tooth picks to buy and what brands of polish I recommend.

So what are you favorite polishes and products?
Sally Hansen donated products last year for the class I was teaching and I actually like their Extreme Wear colors the best. They’re bright and very useful for depicting the Torah scenes…and they last. I don’t tend to use a top coat—I let it last a week, just in time for the next Torah portion. The Extreme Wear [polishes] are much more affordable than [other brands] but I will pick up other brands like Essie or OPI if I like the colors here or there.

Have you ever tried an actual nail art pen?
No, I haven’t tried the pens–I’m a stickler for the basic old-fashioned method of a tooth pick. I’ve never used a specialized tool. I use flat toothpicks. {Ed. Note: We love that she’s a nail art purist.}

What gave you the idea to do the decals?