Yeshivat Torat Yosef - Hamivtar (ישיבת תורת יוסף - המבתר) is a men's

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 ...

located in

Efrat Efrat ( he, אֶפְרָת), or previously officially Efrata ( he, אֶפְרָתָה), is an Israeli settlement in the West Bank, established in 1983 in the Judean Mountains. Efrat is located south of Jerusalem, between Bethlehem and Hebron, ...

in the

West Bank The West Bank ( ar, الضفة الغربية, translit=aḍ-Ḍiffah al-Ġarbiyyah; he, הגדה המערבית, translit=HaGadah HaMaʽaravit, also referred to by some Israelis as ) is a landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...

. The

Roshei Yeshiva Rosh yeshiva ( he, ראש ישיבה, pl. he, ראשי ישיבה, '; Anglicized pl. ''rosh yeshivas'') is the title given to the dean of a yeshiva, a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primar ...

are Rabbi Yonatan Rosensweig and Rabbi

Shlomo Riskin Shlomo Riskin (born May 28, 1940) is an Orthodox rabbi, and the founding rabbi of Lincoln Square Synagogue on the Upper West Side of New York City, which he led for 20 years; founding chief rabbi of the Israeli settlement of Efrat in the Israe ...

. The institution is primarily focused on post college-aged students and is part of the

Ohr Torah Stone Ohr Torah Stone (OTS) ( he, אור תורה סטון) is an international Modern Orthodox movement that aims to develop Jewish life, learning, and leadership. The organization is led by Rabbi Dr. Kenneth Brander. In 1983 OTS was founded by Rabb ...

educational institutions founded by Rabbi Shlomo Riskin and Rabbi Chaim Brovender. Yeshivat Hamivtar is closely associated with the

Modern Orthodox Modern may refer to: History *Modern history ** Early Modern period ** Late Modern period *** 18th century *** 19th century *** 20th century ** Contemporary history * Moderns, a faction of Freemasonry that existed in the 18th century Philosoph ...

and Religious Zionist/Dati Leumi schools of contemporary

Orthodox Judaism Orthodox Judaism is the collective term for the traditionalist and theologically conservative branches of contemporary Judaism. Theologically, it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah, both Written and Oral, as revealed by God to Moses ...

. The Yeshiva emphasizes teaching its students how to become more independent learners, especially in

Talmud The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law ('' halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the ce ...

. It caters to both students with strong religious backgrounds, and students adopting a more observant lifestyle. It is located just outside the southern gate of

, between the city and the Kibbutz

Migdal Oz Migdal ( he, מִגְדָּל) is a Hebrew word for tower. It may refer to: People * Alexander Migdal (born 1945), Soviet, Russian and American physicist, son of Arkady Migdal * Arkady Migdal (1911–1991), Soviet physicist * Ted Migdal (1918–19 ...

- located in a campus called Kiryat Shoshana.

Programs

The institution has a non-rabbinical and rabbinical track. Students who do not opt for the rabbinical track often enter other Yeshivot or the workforce in Israel or other countries.

Rabbinical/Semicha Program

Students accepted into the Semicha program (ordination) are required to spend three-years studying

Halacha ''Halakha'' (; he, הֲלָכָה, ), also transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Jewish religious laws which is derived from the written and Oral Torah. Halakha is based on biblical comman ...

in the afternoon ''seder'', in addition to the morning ''seder'' of Gemara with the rest of the Yeshiva. The three years' study consists of: Shabbat,

Nidah Niddah (or nidah; he, נִדָּה), in traditional Judaism, describes a woman who has experienced a uterine discharge of blood (most commonly during menstruation), or a woman who has menstruated and not yet completed the associated requirem ...

, and Issur v'Heter. Other classes in the track include

Hashkafa ''Hashkafa'' ( he, השקפה, lit., "outlook"; plural ''hashkafot'', ''hashkafos'', ''hashkafas'') is the Hebrew term for worldview and guiding philosophy, used almost exclusively within Orthodox Judaism. A ''hashkafa'' is a perspective that Or ...

(questions relating to "worldview") and Practical Rabbinics; a mandatory ''beki'ut'' (survey / overview) program in Talmud was instituted beginning with the 2008-2009 year.

Yeshiva Program

The Yeshiva program, for students not focused on Semicha, has a wide array of classes. A seder of Talmud in the morning, followed in the afternoon by

(Jewish law), Machshava (Jewish philosophy), Navi, and

Chumash Chumash may refer to: *Chumash (Judaism), a Hebrew word for the Pentateuch, used in Judaism *Chumash people, a Native American people of southern California *Chumashan languages, indigenous languages of California See also *Chumash traditional n ...

. The curriculum is designed to produce well rounded graduates, capable of learning on their own in the original text. Some students may start out in the Yeshiva program and progress into the Semicha program.

History

Rabbi Chaim Brovender founded Yeshivat Hamivtar in

Givat HaMivtar Givat HaMivtar () is an Israeli settlement and a neighborhood in East Jerusalem established in 1970 between Ramat Eshkol and French Hill. It is located on a hill where an important battle took place in the Six Day War. Archaeological excavation ...

in 1967 as a spinoff of

Yeshivas Itri Yeshivas Itri ( he, ישיבת איתרי) is an Orthodox yeshiva in southeast Jerusalem. Founded in 1968 by Rabbi Mordechai Elefant, the yeshiva has several branches in Israel and the United States, and spawned several educational programs for D ...

. The goal of the institution was to create a unique learning center with a dual emphasis on intellectual openness and the systematic teaching of Talmud and other texts. Brovender had been teaching at '' Darche Noam'' and left with ten-students to found the new Yeshiva including Rabbi David Fink and Professor Charles Manekin. Shortly thereafter Rabbi Brovender also founded Michlelet Bruria as a parallel program for women. It was one of the first Orthodox institutions to teach

to women. Today the institution is known as

Midreshet Lindenbaum Midreshet Lindenbaum (), originally named Michlelet Bruria, is a midrasha in Talpiot, Jerusalem. It counts among its alumnae many of the teachers at Matan, Nishmat, Pardes and other women's and co-ed yeshivas in Israel and abroad. History Michl ...

. In 1985, Yeshivat Hamivtar became part of the network of educational institutions founded by Riskin called

. At which point Rabbi Riskin became co-Rosh Yeshiva. Rabbi Shuki Reich led the program to train advanced students for Rabbinic Ordination. Yeshiva Hamivtar previously offered a post-high school "gap program"; in 2001 this was discontinued, allowing the Yeshiva to focus on the needs of the post-college students. Ohr Torah that same year created

Yeshivat Torat Shraga Yeshivat Torat Shraga (or Yeshivas Toras Shraga)See Taw (letter) is a post-high school yeshiva in Bayit Vegan, Jerusalem. Rabbi Avishai David is the rosh yeshiva. It is located on the Yeshiva University Israel campus and conducts its Torah study in ...

which became its post high school program, led by Rabbis Brovender and Ebner. Rabbi Brovender then returned fully to Yeshivat Hamivtar. In 1997 The Yeshiva changed its name to Yeshivat Hamivtar-Orot Lev. In early 2007, Brovender left the yeshiva to focus on developing his organization for Jewish educational initiatives, Atid, and especially its latest project called WebYeshiva. Rabbi Joel Zeff succeeded Brovender as Rosh Yeshiva. During Zeff's three-year tenure educational and administrative changes were made that brought considerable expansion of the Yeshiva's enrollment and vibrancy. In Elul 2010 Rabbi Yonatan Rosensweig became the new Rosh Yeshiva. The name of the yeshivah changed again, this time to Yeshivat Torat Yosef-Hamivatar. The new leadership of the yeshiva is especially intent on actualizing the institution's great potential to serve the many students desirous of a serious yeshiva experience in a Modern Orthodox-Religious Zionist environment, as well as committed to Riskin's dream of creating truly Modern Orthodox rabbis. In 2012 the program closed. Its former campus now houses the Machanaim Hesder Yeshiva of

Notable alumni

* Rabbi Dr. David Fink, Israeli Orthodox rabbi and expert in halacha and Jewish medical ethics *

Dore Gold Dore Gold ( he, דורי גולד, born 1953) is an American-Israeli political scientist and diplomat who served as Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations from 1997 to 1999. He is currently the President of the Jerusalem Cente ...

, Israeli diplomat * Rabbi Prof. Daniel Reiser of

Herzog College Herzog College ( he, מכללת הרצוג, ''Mikhlelet Herzog'') is an Israeli teachers' college with campuses in Jerusalem, Alon Shvut and Migdal Oz. History Herzog College is named for Jacob Herzog, Yaakov Herzog, an Israeli diplomat, scholar ...

* Rabbi Prof.

Shaul Magid Shaul Magid (born June 16, 1958) is the Distinguished Fellow in Jewish Studies at Dartmouth College. From 2004-2018 he was a professor of religious studies and the Jay and Jeannie Schottenstein Chair of Jewish Studies in Modern Judaism at Indiana U ...

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native ...

* Rabbi Jeffrey Saks, founder of Atid and director of WebYeshiva. Head of research at the Agnon House * Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger, cofounder and Director of International Relations of the Roots/Shorashim/Judur organization for Israeli-Palestinian dialogue

References

{{Coord missing, West Bank Baalei teshuva institutions Gush Etzion Jewish seminaries Modern Orthodox Judaism Orthodox yeshivas in Jerusalem Hamivtar Yeshivas in the West Bank