Yeshivat Ma'ale Gilboa () is a Shiluv Yeshiva located on Kibbutz

Ma'ale Gilboa Ma'ale Gilboa () is a religious kibbutz located on the summit of Mount Gilboa, on the northeast end of the ridge of the Samarian hills in Israel. Located about 5 km west of Beit She'an, it falls under the jurisdiction of Beit She'an Valley ...

Kibbutz HaDati Movement
/ref> in Israel's Gilboa Mountains. The Shiluv Yeshiva is unique in that it combines two years of Torah study with the full three years of army service. This is in contrast to students from

Hesder Hesder ( "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 allows Orthodox J ...

Yeshivot, which serve in the army for a year and a half and complete three and a half years of Torah study. The Yeshiva emphasizes a commitment to rigorous Torah study, intellectual openness, intellectual disagreement and social consciousness.

History

In 1993, the Kibbutz HaDati (

Religious Kibbutz The Religious Kibbutz Movement (, ''HaKibbutz HaDati'') is an organizational framework for Orthodox kibbutzim in Israel. Its membership includes 22 communities, 16 of them traditional kibbutzim, and 6 others in the category of Moshav shitufi, me ...

) Movement approached and encouraged Rabbi Shmuel Reiner, then Rabbi of Kibbutz Tirat Zvi, to open a Yeshiva in the north of Israel to complement Kibbutz HaDati's (then) decade old Yeshiva in Ein Tzurim. Rabbi Reiner approached his friend Rabbi Yehuda Gilad, then as now, Rabbi of Kibbutz Lavi, to join him. They jointly began to recruit both students and staff. Ma'ale Gilboa was chosen to host the Yeshiva due to the natural beauty of surrounding area in addition to strengthening the slowly diminishing kibbutz community. The Yeshiva opened in 1994, and, in addition to the Rashei Yeshiva, it attracted a staff of educators, including Rabbi Meir Rubinstein and Rabbi David Bigman, who was then Rosh Yeshiva at Ein Zurim and came back to Ma'ale Gilboa to serve as Rosh Yeshiva. At first, the Yeshiva was hosted in the Kibbutz's Synagogue, but quickly outgrew that. Within several years it moved to its current campus opposite the Kibbutz's old headquarters in the 'Migdal' or 'Tower.' New modern dormitories were built to accommodate the increase in enrollment. Later, the Yeshiva took over the management of the local 'inn'-Margoa BaGilboa.

Philosophy of the Yeshiva

Yeshivat Maale Gilboa is committed to educating a generation of young students who relate to a pluralistic and democratic Israeli society. The Yeshiva's diverse group of educators emphasize a commitment to rigorous Torah study, intellectual openness, and social consciousness. Based on the belief that Talmidei Chachamim have a responsibility to contribute in all branches of society, the teachers at Ma'ale Gilboa have created a broad program that addresses the needs of the contemporary student. As a Shiluv Yeshiva, Ma'ale Gilboa is dedicated to full involvement in modern Israeli life, and therefore obligates its Israeli students to serve a full 3-year tour of military service. The three main messages of Yeshivat Ma'ale Gilboa are * Openness to various methods of Torah study including techniques and ideas from the academic world. * Integration of the analytic and spiritual sides of Judaism and Torah study. * Sensitivity to the current issues of

Am Yisrael Jewish peoplehood (Hebrew: עמיות יהודית, ''Amiut Yehudit'') is the conception of the awareness of the underlying unity that makes an individual a part of the Jewish people. The concept of peoplehood has a double meaning. The first is d ...

and the

State of Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

Curriculum

Classes

There are multiple classes every day on various topics by a variety of rabbis. Most of the shiurim are in Hebrew. 4-5 shiurim a week are given to the overseas students, usually in English. Classes are offered in

Tanakh The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
. ''

Rambam Moses ben Maimon (1138–1204), commonly known as Maimonides (, ) and also referred to by the Hebrew acronym Rambam (), was a Sephardic rabbi and philosopher who became one of the most prolific and influential Torah scholars of the Middle Ag ...

, Literature,

Hassidism Hasidism () or Hasidic Judaism is a religious movement within Judaism that arose in the 18th century as a spiritual revival movement in contemporary Western Ukraine before spreading rapidly throughout Eastern Europe. Today, most of those affi ...

, Musar and many other topics. There are over 40 different classes offered throughout the week. Students are encouraged to attend around 6-9 classes per week. These classes are all optional and many second year students opt to learn Talmud with a chevruta instead."Guide to Israel Schools". Yeshiva University Center for the Jewish Future. http://www.yu.edu/cjf/israel_yeshivot/page1.aspx?id=15916#tuition

Talmud study

A major part of the day (and often night) is devoted to the study of Gemara. Gemara instruction endows students with competence in classic yeshiva modes of study and carefully opens doors to new insights provided by complementary academic disciplines in Talmud.

Revadim method

The Yeshiva has adopted the Revadim method of learning

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

. The Revadim method sees the Oral Tradition as a living legal system and not only as written text. Therefore, "one should learn the literature of the Oral Tradition in accordance with the dynamic process through which it was formed.".The Society for the Advancement of the Oral Tradition in Israel: Frequently Asked Questions
The page of Talmud we study today is composed of various historical ''Gersaot'' or manuscripts, which can be broken down into four stages – Mishnah, Tannaitic literature, Amoraic literature and Talmudic literature. Understanding the evolution of these documents and the original intent of their authors leads to a whole new perspective on the study of Talmud.

Tanakh study

Tanakh The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
. ''

The Approach of Classic Jewish Exegetes to Peshat and Derash and Its Implications for the Teaching of Bible Today
or the ''Peshat.'' Students acquire the skills and ability to study classical commentary and learn to utilize contemporary literary and linguistic methods for deeper insight into Tanakh. Many students follow a Tanakh Yomi or ''daily Bible'' class which finishes learning the entire Tanakh in one year. Second-year students are exposed to

Biblical Criticism Modern Biblical criticism (as opposed to pre-Modern criticism) is the use of critical analysis to understand and explain the Bible without appealing to the supernatural. During the eighteenth century, when it began as ''historical-biblical c ...

to better prepare them for classes in Biblical Criticism offered in universities.

Overseas program

Yeshivat Ma'ale Gilboa's overseas program is relatively new, yet attracts both post high school and post college students from the United States, England, Australia and more. The Overseas program is fully integrated into the regular Israeli program, other than several English-language classes a week in addition to the Hebrew-language ones. The Overseas students are housed together with Israeli students. The Yeshiva provides certain amenities for the Overseas students, such as laundry service and WiFi, as well as transportation to Jerusalem (two hours south of the Yeshiva). Likewise, the Overseas students are matched with a family living in the Kibbutz, where the students may visit for Shabbat meals and so on. The Yeshiva encourages a broad liberal arts education along with professional education. The overseas students are encouraged to attend universities that have a strong Jewish presence so they will be able to continue learning.

Campus

The Yeshiva is situated on top of Mount Gilboa with views of the Bet She'an Valley, Jordan River Valley, Jezreal valley, the Lower and Upper Galilee, Golan and Mt. Hermon. The campus contains modern dormitories, computer room, classrooms and an auditorium. In addition to a large Hebrew library, the Yeshiva does have over 1000 English books in its growing library. The kibbutz also houses a mini-market, post office and medical clinic.

Affiliated organizations

Yeshivat Ma'ale Gilboa is affiliated with

Herzog College Herzog College (, ''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 and son of Israel's secon ...

, a teacher's college in Gush Etzion. Learning at Ma'ale Gilboa can count toward a teacher's degree. The Yeshiva is also affiliated with

Yeshiva University Yeshiva University is a Private university, private Modern Orthodox Judaism, Orthodox Jewish university with four campuses in New York City.

. Study at the Yeshiva for one year counts as 36 credits at YU. The Yeshiva is not affiliated with the

Jewish Agency for Israel The Jewish Agency for Israel (), formerly known as the Jewish Agency for Palestine, is the largest Jewish non-profit organization in the world. It was established in 1929 as the operative branch of the World Zionist Organization (WZO). As an ...

's Masa scholarship program, since the Yeshiva does not offer

Ulpan An ulpan (), plural ''ulpanim'', is an institute or school for the intensive study of Hebrew. Ulpan is a Hebrew word meaning "studio", "teaching", or "instruction". The ulpan is designed to teach adult immigrants to Israel the basic language s ...

courses.

References

External links

Yeshivat Ma'ale Gilboa's English website

Yeshiva University's Center for the Jewish Future-Ma'ale Gilboa page

Yeshiva Ma'ale Gilboa's Youtube Channel

Kibbutz Ma’ala Gilboa Website
{{Coord, 32, 28, 42, N, 35, 25, 06, E, region:IL_type:landmark_source:kolossus-hewiki, display=title Schools in Israel 1993 establishments in Israel Educational institutions established in 1993