Yeshivat HaKotel ( he, ישיבת הכותל, lit=Yeshiva of the Western Wall) is a

religious Zionist Religious Zionism ( he, צִיּוֹנוּת דָּתִית, translit. ''Tziyonut Datit'') is an ideology that combines Zionism and Orthodox Judaism. Its adherents are also referred to as ''Dati Leumi'' ( "National Religious"), and in Israel, the ...

Hesder Hesder ( he, הסדר "arrangement"; also Yeshivat Hesder ) is an Israeli yeshiva program which combines advanced Talmudic studies with military service in the Israel Defense Forces, usually within a Religious Zionist framework. The program all ...

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 ...

situated in the Old City of

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

. The yeshiva's building is located opposite the

Temple Mount The Temple Mount ( hbo, הַר הַבַּיִת, translit=Har haBayīt, label=Hebrew, lit=Mount of the House f the Holy}), also known as al-Ḥaram al-Sharīf (Arabic: الحرم الشريف, lit. 'The Noble Sanctuary'), al-Aqsa Mosque compou ...

and overlooks the Kotel (Western Wall), hence its name. Most of the students are in the Israeli Hesder program which combines at least fifteen months of army service with several years of Yeshiva study. Rabbi Baruch Wieder, the former

Rosh Kollel A kollel ( he, כולל, , , a "gathering" or "collection" f scholars is an institute for full-time, advanced study of the Talmud and rabbinic literature. Like a yeshiva, a kollel features shiurim (lectures) and learning ''sedarim'' (sessions); ...

, serves as the Rosh Yeshiva. The previous Rosh Yeshiva was Rabbi Yeshayahu Hadari zt"l who served as Rosh Yeshiva for more than thirty years, although not consecutively. Yeshivat HaKotel has a program for English-speaking students. The Dean of the program for overseas students is Rabbi Reuven Taragin. The program offers integration with Israelis, a broad comprehensive curriculum 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 ...

Tanakh The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
'' Machshava,

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 ...

, and Mussar, and personal long-term relationships with Rabbis and other staff. In 2006, Yeshivat HaKotel opened a new program intended for Portuguese and Spanish-speaking students, headed by Brazilian-born Rabbi Daniel Segal. As of 2011, more than 100 students from Latin American countries, like Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Mexico, Panama, Peru and Colombia, and also from Portugal and Spain, have graduated this special program.

History

The Yeshiva was founded shortly after the

Six-Day War The Six-Day War (, ; ar, النكسة, , or ) or June War, also known as the 1967 Arab–Israeli War or Third Arab–Israeli War, was fought between Israel and a coalition of Arab states (primarily Egypt, Syria, and Jordan) from 5 to 10 Ju ...

in 1967 in the old city of Jerusalem by Harav Aryeh Bina, who at that time was a Rav in Yeshivat Netiv Meir. Due to the instability of the political situation of the old city at the time, Rav Bina wanted to cement a Jewish presence in the old city by starting a yeshiva there. The first Shavuot after the war, which took place approximately one week after the recapturing of the old city, Rav Bina started bringing groups of Talmidim to learn in abandoned Jordanian barracks near the connection of the Western and Southern walls of the city. Not long after, under the guidance of Rav Bina, Rav Moshe Tzvi Neria, Rav Zuckerman, and a few others the Yeshiva relocated to a long abandoned homeless shelter in the "old square." Harav Yeshayahu Hadari, a former student of Chevron Yeshiva and the

Mashgiach A mashgiach ( he, משגיח, "supervisor"; , ''mashgichim'') or mashgicha (pl. ''mashgichot'') is a Jew who supervises the kashrut status of a kosher establishment. Mashgichim may supervise any type of food service establishment, including sl ...

at Kerem B'Yavneh at the time, was chosen to be the Rosh Yeshiva and ended up serving for over thirty years. He brought in the Yeshiva's first two non-founder Magidei Shiur (rabbeim who gave shiur in mornings) who were contemporaries of his from Yeshivat Ponovitch. Rabbi Avigdor Nebenzahl, former rabbi of the old city, was another of the Yeshiva's early Ramim after learning for several years in Yeshivat Hakotel's

kollel A kollel ( he, כולל, , , a "gathering" or "collection" f scholars is an institute for full-time, advanced study of the Talmud and rabbinic literature. Like a yeshiva, a kollel features shiurim (lectures) and learning ''sedarim'' (sessions); ...

. Rabbi Yeshayahu Hadari elevated him to Ram status after it was repeatedly pointed out just how expansive the breadth of his Torah knowledge was. Yeshivat hakotel pic

In the early 1980s the Yeshiva moved to its permanent location where it is currently stationed. During the first digging and foundation laying of this new building in the late 1960s led by architect Eliezer Frankel, an important archaeological site was discovered now known as the Herodian Quarter. This significantly delayed the building's construction for the archaeological excavations to be completed leading to the building not being dedicated until the middle of the 1980s. This new Hakotel building spans a land area of 3,125 meters making it the largest building in the Jewish Quarter. Its height of 32 meters above the plaza of the

Western Wall The Western Wall ( he, הַכּוֹתֶל הַמַּעֲרָבִי, HaKotel HaMa'aravi, the western wall, often shortened to the Kotel or Kosel), known in the West as the Wailing Wall, and in Islam as the Buraq Wall (Arabic: حَائِط � ...

, in addition to the large Israeli flag waving on top of the roof, make it the highest point in the Old City. The dormitories are designed to house 350 students with an additional 14 apartments for families and guests. The recently renovated

Beit Midrash A ''beth midrash'' ( he, בית מדרש, or ''beis medrash'', ''beit midrash'', pl. ''batei midrash'' "House of Learning") is a hall dedicated for Torah study, often translated as a "study hall." It is distinct from a synagogue (''beth kness ...

can fit almost 500 students at any given time.

Notable alumni

Menachem Froman Rabbi Menachem Froman (also spelled ''Menahem'' and ''Fruman''; he, מנחם פרומן‎; 1 June 1945 – 4 March 2013) Note: Birth date is 1 Jan – 4 Mar 1945 based on 1) year known as 1945, 2) age known to be 68, 3) date of death kn ...

z"l, founding member of

Gush Emunim Gush Emunim ( he, גּוּשׁ אֱמוּנִים , ''Bloc of the Faithful'') was an Israeli ultranationalist Orthodox Jewish right-wing activist movement committed to establishing Jewish settlements in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and the Gol ...

and former chief rabbi of Tekoa *Rabbi Haim Sabato, cofounder of Yeshivat Birkat Moshe (Ma'aleh Adumim) * Rabbi Yitzchak Sheilat, cofounder of Yeshivat Birkat Moshe (Ma'aleh Adumim) * Rabbi

Yitzhak Levy Yitzhak Levy ( he, יצחק לוי, born 6 July 1947) is an Israeli Orthodox rabbi and politician who served as a member of the Knesset for the National Religious Party (NRP) and the Ahi faction of the National Union between 1988 and 2009. Betw ...

, Knesset member * Rabbi

Rabbi Benny Kalmanzon 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 ...

, of Yeshivat Otniel * Rabbi

Rabbi Shmuel Tal 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 ...

, Rosh Yeshivat Torat Chaim * Rabbi

Rafi Peretz Rafael "Rafi" Peretz (; born 7 January 1956) is an Israeli Orthodox rabbi and politician. A former military officer and helicopter pilot who also served as the Chief Military Rabbi of the Israel Defense Forces, he was the leader of the Jewi ...

, Chief military Rabbi * Rav Michael Amos, Dayan on Beit Din Hagadol * Yair Dreyfus, Rosh Yeshivat Hesder Siach Yitzchak * Meir Tviyar, Rosh Yeshivat Netiv Meir

Roshei Yeshiva

* Rav Yeshayahu Hadari, 1967–1998 * Rav Shagar ( Shimon Gershon Rosenberg), 1982 (filled in during a Rav Hadari sabbatical) * Rav Chaim Katz, 1998–2002 * Rav Mordechai Elon, 2002–2006 * Rav Yeshayahu Hadari, 2006–2008 * Rav Baruch Wieder, 2008–present

References

External links

Official site
(in Hebrew) {{Authority control Hakotel Hakotel Educational institutions established in 1967