Yeshiva Torah Vodaas

Yeshiva Torah Vodaas (or Mesivta Torah Vodaas) is a yeshiva located in the Kensington neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York.

Contents

History

The Yeshiva was conceived in 1917 by friends Binyomin Wilhelm and Louis Dershowitz to provide a yeshiva education centering on traditional Jewish sacred texts to the children of families then moving from the Lower East Side to the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. The two friends contacted prominent local Rabbi Zev Gold of Congregation Beth Jacob Anshe Sholom [1][2] and together they formed a board and established the yeshiva in Williamsburg as an elementary school. Rabbi Gold was elected as the yeshiva's first president; he suggested the name Torah Vodaas after the yeshiva founded in Lida in 1896 by Rabbi Yitzchak Yaacov Reines, which combined secular studies with Jewish studies and traditional Talmud study. That yeshiva closed in 1903.[3] The founding members of the yeshiva soon offered the principalship of the institution to Rabbi Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz. From 1922 to 1948, the yeshiva was headed by Rabbi Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz. Under Mendlowitz's leadership, a mesivta (yeshiva high school) was opened in 1926.[4] Later he opened a Yeshiva Gedola as well. The Yeshiva later moved to 452 and 425 East 9th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11218, where it is located today.

Philosophy

"Torah im Derech Eretz" historically influenced the yeshiva's philosophy,[5] but today it is strongly influenced by the haredi or, ultra-orthodox philosophy. However, Torah Vodaath is one of the few major haredi yeshivohs that allow its students to attend college while studying at the yeshiva. The great majority of the yeshiva's graduates go on to work in fields that are not related to the torah education that they received in yeshiva.

Rosh Yeshiva

One of the current roshei yeshiva is Rabbi Yisroel Belsky, who is also a posek for the Orthodox Union.[6] The yeshiva has had many prominent roshei yeshiva, including Rabbi Avraham Yaakov Pam, Rabbi Shlomo Heiman, Rabbi Dovid Leibowitz, Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetsky, Rabbi Shachne Zohn, Rabbi Zelik Epstein, Rabbi Gedalia Schorr, Rabbi Elya Chazan and Rabbi Reuvain Grozovsky.

Notable Alumni

References

  1. ^ Bunim, Amos (1989). A Fire in His Soul: Irving M. Bunim, 1908-1980. Feldheim Publishers. p. 250. ISBN 0873064739. http://books.google.com/books?id=WaObe1cRLc0C&printsec=frontcover&dq=A+Fire+in+His+Soul&hl=en#v=onepage&q&f=false. 
  2. ^ Orthodox Judaism in America: A biographical dictionary and sourcebook|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=cgMCSrDxKGAC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Orthodox+Judaism+in+America&hl=en#v=onepage&q&f=false |first=Moshe D. |last=Sherman |publisher=Greenwood Press |year=1996 |isbn=0313243166 |page=78}}
  3. ^ Rosenblum, Yonoson (2001). Reb Shraga Feivel: The life and times of Rabbi Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz, the architect of Torah in America. Mesorah Publications. p. 70. ISBN 157819797X. http://books.google.com/books?id=k76OAAAAMAAJ&dq=reb+shraga+feivel&q=mesivta. 
  4. ^ Rosenblum, Reb Shraga Feivel, p. 76.
  5. ^ Ben Zion Weberman (1896-1968): Life and Legacy of an Orthodox Jewish Attorney in New York City During the Interwar Period and Beyond, Moshe Rapaport, University of Hawaii
  6. ^ DEI'AH VEDIBUR, Obituary for Chana Belsky, August 18, 1999
  7. ^ Hamodia http://www.hamodia.com/inthepaper.cfm?ArticleID=400
  8. ^ Simmons, Gene (2001). KISS and Make-up. Crown. pp. 288. ISBN 9780609608555. 

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