Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia

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The Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia, known as "Philly",is one of the Haredi Litvish Yeshivas in the United States. Its rosh yeshivas ("deans") are Rabbi Elya Svei and Rabbi Shmuel Kamenetsky. Its campus is located in the Overbrook section of Philadelphia.

[edit] Operation

The yeshiva consists of both a high school containing a total of about 100 students in four grade levels, and a beit midrash for the continuing education of college-aged students. The curriculum is weighted heavily towards Talmudic studies, other subjects (religious and secular) being treated as time allows. A majority of the student body hails from outside the state, mainly from the New York area, and virtually all students live in dormitories located on campus.

[edit] History and orientation

The yeshiva was founded in 1953 at the behest of Rabbi Aaron Kotler, the Rosh Yeshiva of Bais Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, NJ. The original yeshiva was headed by Rabbi Shmuel Kamenetzky and Rabbi Dov Schwartzman. The latter, at the time, was the son-in-law of Rabbi Aaron Kotler. Because he subsequently divorced Rabbi Kotler's daughter, he left the yeshiva in 1955 and was replaced by Rabbi Elya Svei.

Although there are no official rankings of Yeshivos, it has been recognized by the Haredi community as one of the premier yeshivas of its type in the United States. Admission to either the high school program or to the Beit Midrash program is highly competitive.

Although most graduates attend Lakewood Yeshiva and/or Brisk or Mir Yeshiva in Jerusalem, Israel, a relatively high minority have also begun to attend top tier law schools^{[citation needed]} and medical schools. The community of alumni remain extraordinarily close knit and generally retain a strong commitment and dedication toward the Yeshiva, its faculty, and its Haredi values.^{[citation needed]}