Valley Torah High School

Valley Torah High School is an Ultra-Orthodox Jewish high school located in North Hollywood, California, a northern suburb of Los Angeles. The school is comprised of three divisions: 1) boys division, 2) girls division, and 3)beth midrash program. The beth midrash allows male pupils to dedicate the majority of their day to Jewish text study. The principal and Rosh Yeshiva is Avraham Stulburger.

Valley Torah is theologically aligned with the Chofetz Chaim school of thought. This religious philosophy is rooted in the Mussar movement of 19th century Lithuanian Jewry. The teachings of Mussar emphasize the need for human beings to constantly strive for self improvement, thereby allowing them to become closer to God. [Path of the Righteous (1740), Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzatto] This approach to life is articulated during the Rosh Yeshiva's weekly "Mussar Shmooze" (sermon) to all divisions. Prior to enrollment, students must sign a contract that pledges that they will not fraternize with the opposite sex for the duration of their academic career at the high school. The violation of this agreement has, in the past, led to suspensions and even expulsions.

Academics

Valley Torah places Jewish text study at the heart of its curriculum. After morning prayers, all male students attend a 3 hour class dedicated to the Talmud. Both the boys division and beth midrash study the same talmudic tractate in a given year. In addition to this, Bible and halakha (Jewish law) are studied daily. The girls division focuses on the Bible as its core text. Those enrolled in the Valley Torah boys division must adhere to a rigorous schedule which includes additional Jewish studies on Thursday nights and 4 hours of instruction on Sunday mornings. In addition to these extra hours of learning, some students volunteer to learn for an extra hour on Tuesday nights with a student from Beis Medrash Ner Aryeh.

The high school offers its students a full array of secular classes as well. In 2006, the science department embarked on a fund raising effort to increase the size and quality of its laboratory. The school (in select years) also offers Advanced Placement courses in many subjects, including English and American history.

While courses on secular subjects are widely available, students are encouraged by rabbis and other religious instructors to spend at least one year studying at a Jewish seminary after graduation. Many pupils ultimately participate in such programs in Jerusalem, New York, and Baltimore after receiving their diplomas.

Athletics

Valley Torah competes against other schools in basketball (boys and girls), baseball (boys), and volleyball (boys and girls). The team name is the Wolfpack. The 1999-2000 season saw an effort by the school administration to end the use of this name since it is closely related to a German submarine maneuver used during World War II. [ [http://uboat.net/ops/wolfpacks/ uboat.net - U-boat Operations - Wolfpacks ] ] Valley Torah is invited annually to the Red Sarachek Basketball Tournament hosted by Yeshiva University in New York. Their prime basketball years were the 02-03 team and the 05-06 team, which was ranked among the top 15 D-IV schools in the state.

School websites: [http://www.vths.org VTHS.org] [http://www.torahstation.com TorahStation.com]

References