- Oholei Torah
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Oholei Torah ("Tents of Torah") is the common name of the Lubavitch schools Educational Institute Oholei Menachem and Talmudical Seminary Oholei Torah. The main branches of the school, and its administrative offices, are located in Brooklyn, New York City.
Educational Institute Oholei Torah is the premier male yeshiva for the worldwide Chabad-Lubavitch Movement, drawing students from around the world and providing a vast majority of the Chabad Shluchim from amongst its graduates. With the teachings of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe as an integral part of the curriculum, Oholei Torah’s unique educational standards are among the highest to be found and have led to phenomenal growth. Founded in 1957 with four students, Oholei Torah has grown to an all-inclusive center of Jewish education for over 1600 students of all ages.
Contents
History
Oholei Torah, 2011
Oholei Torah was founded in early 1957 by Rabbi Michoel Teitelbaum, following a statement by Rabbi Schneerson (the Lubavitcher Rebbe) that there should be a school focusing on Torah study.
The school opened in a synagogue in Brownsville with three students. In 1958, the school expanded and a kindergarten for young boys was introduced. In 1964, Oholei Torah added a junior high school division. Several years later came the founding of Oholei Torah Mesivta High School. Finally, Beis HaMedrash, Talmudic Seminary Oholei Torah was founded in 1970, for post-high school Talmudic studies.
In 1975, the school began renting space for the elementary classes at the Brooklyn Jewish Center at 667 Eastern Parkway (Built in the year 1920), and eventually bought the building outright in 1982. Beginning in 1997, the building underwent a major expansion, with a new wing (known as the Deitsch Campus, after the school's major financial patron Dovid Deitsch) and a study hall for the Talmudical Seminary.
In 1991, the elementary school was renamed "Oholei Menachem" in honor of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, though the old name persists in general usage.
Today Oholei Torah enrolls approximately 1600 students in its various divisions.
Divisions
Oholei Torah has four main divisions:
Kindergarten
Enrollment
Location
Oholei Torah's kindergarten, formally known as Oholei Menachem Kindergarten, is located in the Deitsch Campus at 667 Eastern Parkway. There is also a smaller kindergarten division at Cong. B'nai Abraham in East Flatbush, a synagogue where Rabbi Teitelbaum served as president until his passing in 2005.
Elementary
Enrollment
Educational Institute Oholei Menachem (Oholei Torah) consists of a preschool grade (Pre-1A) and 8 elementary grades. Each grade has an average enrollment of about 100 students, so there are four or five classes for each grade.
Location
The elementary school is located at 667 Eastern Parkway.
Staff
Elementary
- Dean: Rabbi Tzvi Hirsh Lustig -
- Principals:
- Grades Pre-1A - 2: Rabbi Meir Shimshoni.
- Grades 3-4: Rabbi Zalman Goldstein
- Grades 5-6: Rabbi Shua Lustig
- Grades 7-8: Rabbi Shalom Goldstein
Beis Medrash
- Rosh Yeshiva: Rabbi Yisroel Friedman
- Menahel, and Mashgiach for Nigleh: Rabbi Elchonon Lesches
- Mashgiach ruschani for Chasidut: Rabbis Shmaryahu Roitblatt and Rabbi Meir Wilschanski
- Mashpim: Rabbi Nachman Schapiro, Rabbi Kuti Feldman, Rabbi Zalman Vileinkin, Rabbi Sholom Charitonow, Rabbi Shloime Sternberg, Rabbi Fitche Pewsner and Rabbi Levi Matosuf
- Nigleh: Rabbi Yisroel Friedman, Rabbi Shlomo Segal, Rabbi Avrohom Gerlitsky, Rabbi Avrohom Hertz, Rabbi Fishel Oster, Rabbi Shmuel Bluming and Rabbi Lipman Heller
- Meishiv for Chassidus: Rabbi Mendy Matusof
- Meishiv for Nigleh: Rabbi Shlomo Horowitz
Mesivta
Menahel: Rabbi Zushe Willhelm
Enrollment
approx. 170 students.
Location
Oholei Torah Mesivta is located at 417 Troy Avenue (the Rabbi Jacob J. Reines Shul). There is also a branch of the Mesivta (formally known as Beis Dovid Shlomo) at 300 Norton Ave., New Haven, Connecticut. A school blog tracks current events and programs at the New Haven branch: www.dovidshlomo.blogspot.com.
Beis Medrash
Formally called Talmudical Seminary Oholei Torah, and colloquially as Oholei Torah Zal (Yiddish zal, [study] hall), is the largest Lubavitch yeshiva in the United States.
Enrollment
The Seminary currently has around 250 students. About 1/3 of the students live locally; the rest come from other parts of the United States, as well as Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, France, Israel, South America and South Africa.
Location
The Zal is located at the Eastern Parkway campus.
Shlichus
Like many Lubavitch yeshivas, Oholei Torah Zal sends graduating students to various cities around the world, primarily to other Lubavitch yeshivas, on Shlichus. The nature of their Shlichus varies by location, with some consisting of community outreach, and others simply helping younger students in the yeshiva.
Oholei Torah sends more students than any other yeshiva, to locations including California, Florida, Sydney, Melbourne, and France.
Publications
Since 1979 the Beis Medrash has published a journal (formerly weekly, now biweekly)[1] Oholei Torah, containing essays and disquisitions on various Torah topics, mostly contributed by current students and staff, as well as alumni. Occasionally prominent non-Lubavitch rabbis, such as Rabbi Gavriel Zinner, submit papers to the journal.
Haoros Ubeurim has been edited since its inception by Rabbi Avrohom Y. Gerlitzky, who also contributes at least one essay to each issue.
Additionally, the school publishes an annual volume, which has variously been called Kovetz Oholei Torah or Kovetz Pilpulim, containing Torah essays by members of the Beis Medrash classes and their teachers.
To date Kovetz Haaros has published over 1000 issues.
The Mesivta, also publish's a journal, a few times a school year. called haaros hatmimim v'anash. This journal, also contain's essays, and disquisitions, by the staff and student's of the mesivta.
Dormitory
Oholei Torah has a dormitory to house its Beis Medrash students. Located at 645 Eastern Parkway, the dorm houses over 100 students.
Ballroom
Oholei Torah also has a wedding ballroom in the campus at 667 Eastern Parkway, nearly every night there is a wedding.
Alumni
Approximately 70% of Oholei Torah alumni choose the role of Shliach (emissary of Chabad).
Notable alumni include:
- Rabbi Simon Jacobson, 1979
- Rabbi Yossi Jacobson, 1989
- Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi E.N. Silberberg, 1993
- Rabbi Sholom Duchman, 1963
- Avraham Fried, 1977
See also
External links
- Oholeitorah.com, official website.
- Haoros.com, biweekly publication by the Beis. Medrash students
References
Categories:- Chabad schools
- Educational institutions established in 1956
- Orthodox yeshivas in the United States
- Menachem Mendel Schneerson
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