Ohr Somayach, Monsey

Ohr Somayach
Location
Monsey, New York
Information
Type Baal teshuva yeshiva
Established 1977
Affiliation Orthodox Judaism
Roshei Yeshiva Rabbi Yisroel Rokowsky and
Rabbi Yisroel Simcha Schorr
Website www.os.edu

Ohr Somayach, Monsey, (officially titled the Ohr Somayach Tanenbaum Educational Center), is an accredited [1] men's college of Judaic studies offering both full and part-time programs.

Its curriculum is designed to provide students with an appreciation for and understanding of classical Jewish texts and Jewish philosophy and from an Orthodox Jewish perspective.

In addition, the yeshiva runs an outreach program called Legacy Retreats and hosts family getaways and retreats in its Beit Shvidler Conference center.

History

In 1977,[2] the Ohr Somayach yeshiva in Jerusalem, Israel established an American campus in Yonkers, New York. After two years,[3] Rabbi Ezriel Tauber together with a group of lay leaders purchased land in Monsey, New York to service a full-time Judaic learning center.[4]

Monsey was chosen because of its proximity to New York City (approximately 35 miles (56 km) northwest of the city) as well as the Jewish local infrastructure that ensured easy availability of kosher food and amenities.

They maintained the name Ohr Somayach and enlisted Rabbi Yisroel Rokowsky as dean.[5]

Dean and Hanhala

  • Rabbi Yisroel Rokowsky, co-Rosh Yeshiva, is a student of Rabbi Berel Soloveitchik of Jerusalem.Rabbi Rokowsky has led the growth of Ohr Somayach since its inception. His daily class on a page of Talmud is currently in its 38th year and is attended by a wide cross section of community members.
  • Rabbi Yisroel Simcha Schorr, co-Rosh Yeshiva, is an alumnus of Yeshiva Torah Vodaas and Bais Medrash Elyon. Rabbi Schorr is currently the senior editor of the English Artscroll Talmud, and used to teach the highest level class in the Beis Midrash program. He also gives a weekly class on the Parsha Hashavua.
  • Rabbi Avraham Braun [Educational Director] is an alumnus of Torah V'daas.
  • Rabbi Naftali Reich, Executive Vice President, a graduate of Gateshead Talmudical College with smicha from Beth Medrash Gevoha in Lakewood, NJ. Rabbi Reich spearheaded the development of “Legacy Seminars” for Jewish collegiates and the Ohra VeSimcha Family Center that host weekend and week-long retreats to strengthen the Jewish family. His lectures and writings in hashkafa (Jewish philosophy) and Hasidic thought have attracted a worldwide following.

Student body

The student body hails from across North America and most countries with a Jewish population. For many students, Ohr Somayach is their first exposure to full-time Jewish and Torah study. For more advanced students, higher-level classes are offered with the aim of acquiring the skills for self-sufficient Talmud study.

Campus

The yeshiva is located in Monsey, New York on a 10-acre (40,000 m2) campus which includes a beit midrash and a residence facility. The adjacent Beit Shvidler complex (a 40000 sq ft retreat and conference center )houses the Ohra VeSimcha family retreats .

Monsey is home to a Haredi community whose residents often provide students with Shabbat hospitality.[6][7]

See also

References

  1. ↑ accreditation: http://www.os.edu/accreditation/accreditation.shtml
  2. ↑ The Monsey campus was founded in 1979; see next sentence
  3. ↑ http://ohr.edu/web/branches/monsey.htm
  4. ↑ Dana Evan Kaplan (2009). Contemporary American Judaism: Transformation and Renewal. ISBN 0231137281. "In 1979, Ohr Somayach opened a branch of their yeshiva in Monsey..."
  5. ↑ "Rabbi Meir Schuster, zt"l". hamodia.com.
  6. ↑ http://www.shabbat.com/Team.aspx says 50 guests is normal. While others may have 100 for the Friday night meal, larger numbers of households have a guest room with sleeping space for 1 - 3, and it is THESE that add up to what the founders of this school were counting on.
  7. ↑ The Hebrew phrase for this Mitzvah is Hachnasas Orchim, and an example of this as a way of life can be found at http://www.torahlab.org/doitright/hachnasa_orchim_welcoming_guests

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