The Talmudical Academy of Baltimore (Hebrew: ישיבת חפץ חיים),otherwise known as T.A., is a middle-of-the-road Orthodox Jewish K-12 school founded in 1917. Its present campus, located at 4445 Old Court Road, includes an Elementary School building, Middle and High School building, two Gymnasiums, a dormitory, a computer lab, and two Study Halls which double as Prayer Sanctuaries. Its Elementary's Secular Program is currently headed by Mrs. Maya Severin,the Preeschool Director is Beily Rosen, and it's Religious Program is headed by Rabbi Nachman Kahana. Rabbi Yakkov Majesky acts as the Middle Secular Program's Principal. The Middle School's Religious Studies Principal is Rabbi Yaakov Schwartz, and the High School's Menahel (Rosh Yeshiva of a High School) at the present is Rabbi Yisroel Fuchs.
Contents |
T.A. was founded in 1917 by Rabbi Abraham Nachman Schwartz[1], a Lithuanian-born Talmudic Scholar. It was located on Cottage Avenue until a fire caused by one of the custodians destroyed the building. The Yeshiva then moved to its present location.
Members of the Secular Staff are of two types: teachers who have been there for a long time and remain, and teachers that pass through for a year or two. Teachers of note include: Rabbi Dovid Katz[2], Mrs. Nancy Brannan, Mr. Richard Horowicz, Mr. Joshua Bessicks, Mr. Erich Leach, Mr. Robert Astri, and Mrs. Sarah Bernard.
The High School's Rabbinic Staff members include: Rabbi Yisroel Lefkowitz, Rabbi Doniel Metzger, Rabbi Yossi Flamm, Rabbi Avraham Hendler, Rabbi Yaakov Frand, Rabbi Binyamin Hershkowitz, Rabbi Eli Rifkind and Rabbi Shimon Barkin.
Rabbi Yisrael Fuchs serves as the Menahel, Rabbi Yisroel Lefkowitz serves as the S'gan Menahel, while Rabbi Shraga Hershkowitz, a close talmid of Harav Hagoan Yaakov Kamenetsky זצ"ל serves as Mashgiach Ruchani, as well as head of the dormitory.
Former Rebbeim of note include [3]:
The Elementary and Middle School Curricula include all the basic studies: English, Math, Social Studies and Science. Biology is offered in 8th grade, but most students take it in 9th. The High School curriculum includes Algebra (1&2), Geometry, Pre-Calculus, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, World History, European History, English, and Jewish History (1&2). Advanced Placement courses that TA has offered in the past include Physics, World History, European History, and English Lit.
Talmud study begins in 5th grade at an introductory level. Talmudic study in earnest begins in 9th grade with its division into Bekius and Iyyun. Tractates that are studied with the Bekius method include Rosh Hashanah (Talmud), Sotah, Ta'anit (Talmud), Megillah (Talmud) and others. Shorter Tractates are usually chosen. Unlike many other Lithuanian-Style Yeshivas, TA does not have a set cycle of Tractates that it studies, rather every year the new Tractate is selected in a Faculty meeting. Mishna is studied until 5th grade. The learning of Tanakh is encouraged by most Rabbis on the Faculty. Most set aside time in the morning for the study of Halacha. This is generally, however, a mere formality.
Until 1998, a Bais Medrash-level shiur was given by Rabbi Yosef Rottenberg. When he became too ill to continue giving the shiur, the Bais Medrash was discontinued. At the end of 2004, HaRav Yisrael Asia was brought in to lead the Beis Medrash, which he did for the 2004/05 and 2005/06 school years. During the 2005/06 year, Rav Avrohom Notis also gave shiur to the Beis Medrash. In 2006/07, the Bais Medrash was resurrected yet again by Rabbis Bentzion Mehlman and Dovid Hoffman. Rabbi Mehlman acted as Rosh Beis Medrash and Instructor of Iyyun (a slower, more in-depth Talmudic analysis) and Rabbi Hoffman as the "Sho'el u-Maishiv" (study-hall mentor) and Instructor of B'kius (a faster, less in-depth method of Talmudic study). The inaugural Class consisted of seven members; however three more students joined the Program in the middle of the year. The program continued through the 2008–2009 year, but has been discontinued for the time being.
T.A. used to have a varsity basketball team. They were called the Fighting Davids in the 70's and 80's. In the 90's they became the Tigers. The team reached its zenith in the Tamir Goodman era, which was in the late '90s and early 2000s. The team name was changed to the "Thunder", for no apparent reason. The tiny, bleacher-less T.A. gym was packed to the gills with spectators, scouts, and media at every game to watch Tamir, which irked some of the Rabbinic Staff of the high school. T.A. had a strong traveling fan-base in those years with many supportors traveling to schools like Beth Tefiloh and Archbishop Curley to root on the Thunder. The coach at that time, was Chaim "Harold" Katz.
After Tamir left T.A. the varsity basketball squad was dismembered in favor of an intramural system, in which, theoretically, every student in the school could have a chance to play basketball one night a week. This somewhat successful, although disturbingly informal league was under the auspices of Aaron Heisler, known affectionately to many simply as "Coach", who should be commended for his efforts. The league did have two referees at each game.
T.Y.A [1] (Torah Youth Association) was loosely connected with T.A. The Association, headed by Gavi Cohn, and continues to serve as an outlet for teenage boys to play sports and hang out in an environment that fully agrees with Jewish Orthodox social customs. The T.Y.A. sponsored a flag football league near T.A. which was very popular.The association also hosted tennis and pizza nights on Saturday Night, as well as a yearly Super Bowl Party, also a big hit. T.Y.A. also hosted shabbatons at the Pearlstone Center, in Western Maryland, as well as Camp Shoresh.
T.A. has always been the site of many informal sports and other leisurely activities, such as the (now defunct) chess club, debate club, and the 'tag club' of the mid-1990s. There was a short-lived varsity baseball team a few years back, led by Paul Blitz, a U.S. Army Reserve soldier of note.
The list of gym teachers since the 90's is lengthy. Glenn Kutelchuk, Chaim Katz, Paul Smith, Mr. Moraz, Aaron Birnbaum, Len Cutler and others have served as Phys. Ed. instructors. Retired gym teachers have moved on to a host of other more distinguished professions, such as Bartending (Kutelchuck)and Firefighting/Waitering (Birnbaum). In the late 1970's, National Football League player Mike Collier briefly served as gym teacher.
T.A. has had a music room in past years, where musicians could hone their skills and 'jam' with each other.
T.A. has been known, among other things, for its diversity amongst the student body. This, might change however, as the years progress. The school is somewhat leaning towards the right of Jewish Orthodoxy, taking a more "yeshivish" approach to education. While several of its graduates have attended Ivy League institutions, the school does not currently prioritize admissions to elite higher learning institutions.
T.A. also boasts a fully stocked canteen where students can purchase various foods such as candy, soda, pizza, and chips. The most famous item, as former students might attest to, might be the $1.00 Knishes.
T.A. has hosted a number of famous Roshei Yeshiva, and other scholars of repute. The list includes: Rav Mendel Blachman (Ra"m at Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh), Rav Yechezkel Yaakovson, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Sha'alvim, Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky (Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia), Rav Aharon Lopiansky (Yeshiva of Silver Spring), Rav Daniel Mechanic (Aish- Discovery), Rav Reuven Feinstein, Rabbi Yehuda Peretz, Steven Hill, Rabbi Yerachmiel Millstein, Rabbi Asher Rubinstein (Rosh Yeshiva, Yeshivas Torah Simcha) among many others. The yeshiva has also had the privilege to host Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman, שליט"א.