Yeshivah Gedolah "Zal" ( he, ישיבה גדולה זאל), Yeshivah Gedolah, The Rabbinical College of Australia and New Zealand, or colloquially, Y.G., is a government accredited

yeshiva A yeshiva (; he, ישיבה, , sitting; pl. , or ) is a traditional Jewish educational institution focused on the study of Rabbinic literature, primarily the Talmud and halacha (Jewish law), while Torah and Jewish philosophy are st ...

, an academy for young Orthodox Jews to devote themselves to full-time

rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...

nical studies. It is located in

St Kilda East, Victoria St Kilda East is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the Cities of Glen Eira and Port Phillip local government areas. St Kilda East recorded a population of ...

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

, Australia, and is the only yeshiva of its kind on the continent. It is under the auspices of the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement. It offers the government recognised Diploma of Talmudic Studies.

Founding and naming

It was founded on 1 February 1966, under the auspices of the Lubavitcher Rebbe,

Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson Menachem Mendel Schneerson (Modern Hebrew: מנחם מענדל שניאורסון; old-fashioned spelling: מנחם מענדל שניאורסאהן; April 5, 1902 OS – June 12, 1994; AM 11 Nissan 5662 – 3 Tammuz 5754), known to man ...

and is considered a branch of the Lubavitch

Tomchei Temimim Tomchei Tmimim ( he, תומכי תמימים, "supporters of the complete-wholesome ones") is the central Yeshiva (Talmudical academy) of the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement. Founded in 1897 in the town of Lubavitch by Rabbi Sholom Do ...

Yeshiva network, though not officially under that name. Both the addition of the word "''Zal''" ( yid. - study hall) and the name "The Rabbinical College of Australia and New Zealand" were at the suggestion of Rabbi Schneerson. Rabbi Schneersohn would (ritually) sell the yeshiva with his private chametz (leavened bread) before Pesach (passover) each year.

History and leadership

Rabbi Zalman Serebryanski and Rabbi Yaakov Eliezer Herzog were the founding administrators. Rabbi Herzog was the Rosh Yeshiva and Rabbi Serebryanski was the

Mashpia Mashpia ( he, משפיע) or feminine Mashpi'oh lit. "person of influence", pl. Mashpi'im ( he, משפיעים) is the title of a Hasidic rabbi who serves as a spiritual mentor, whose main influence and teachings are in matters of the worship of G ...

. Rabbi

Chaim Gutnick Shneur Chaim (HaKohen) Gutnick (1921 – 25 October 2003) ( Heb.: שניאור-חיים הכהן גוטניק), was a prominent Orthodox Jewish Chabad rabbi in Australia. Early life Gutnick was born in Zolotonosha, Ukraine; soon afterwards his f ...

served as honorary Rosh Yeshiva and would deliver weekly lectures and examine the students from time to time. In 1974, Rabbi Binyomin Gavriel Cohen became the new Rosh Yeshiva and in 1989 Rabbi Yaakov Winner was appointed Mashpia. Rabbi SholomBer Engel is the Mashgiach (supervisor).

Location

The yeshiva began on Goathlands Avenue, St Kilda East. On December 17, 1970, a campus on Alexandra Street was purchased under Rabbi Schneerson's name by Chabad-Lubavitch in Melbourne. The yeshiva is currently located on Alexandra Street. The building, known as The New Alexandra, is an officially recognized historical site.

Property history

In the early 1920s,

Marino Lucas Marinos Lekatsas (1869?–1931), known as Marino Lucas, was a Greek-Australian businessman in the construction industry and the operation of theatres. Originally from Greece, Lucas subsequently lived in Melbourne, Hobart and Launceston, Tasm ...

purchased the mansion ''Fairholme'' in Alexandra Street,

. He subsequently subdivided a portion of the north-eastern section of the grounds and built five residential houses in the then popular California Bungalow style. After his death on 28 September 1931 at the height of the Great Depression, the mansion was sold, becoming a reception hall and is today modified for use as The Rabbinical College of Australia & NZ.

Student shluchim

Before Passover of 1967 student Shluchim (emissaries of Rabbi Schneerson) arrived from the

U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

These were unmarried students of advanced caliber sent to bolster the Yeshiva by studying and teaching the local students. After the resignation of Rabbi Herzog, the student Shluchim took over as teachers of Talmud in the Yeshiva. They also studied with Jewish university students, many of whom eventually enrolled in the Yeshiva. They opened up an English lending library of Jewish literature. According to the current system at any given time there are altogether twelve student Shluchim on a two-year stay, but six student Shluchim leave each year after completing their two-year period, and six new student Shluchim arrive, usually in the month of Cheshvan. This was done in order to prevent a gap in which no student Shluchim are present. Thus, at any given time there are six student Shluchim in their first year and six in their second. It is customary for the entire Yeshiva to travel to the airport to greet the newly arrived student Shluchim.

References