Home: Torat Haim Yeshiva

Yeshivat "Torat Haim" first opened its doors on Rosh Hodesh Adar. It was established with the goal of providing a much needed professional spiritual and pedagogical response to Haredi youth who haven't been successfully integrated into the mainstream Haredi yeshiva systems. Due to the lack of any alternative frameworks and left without professional guidance, many of these youths find themselves wandering the streets, exposed to the prevailing spiritual and physical dangers inherent in open and unrestrained "street life".

The Yeshiva is presently housed in a stone building amidst the beauty and tranquility of Zfat's Old City, overlooking the majestic surrounding landscape. The Beit-Midrash serves as a major center of activities such as daily prayer-services, study groups, discussions, special talks by guest rabbis and our special Kollel program in which participants actively interact with our students. For example, they meet with either individual students or small groups and offer tutorial and remedial help as well as engaging students in personal discussions on topics related to the needs and requests of the students. The Kollel participants also maintain contact with students by telephoning, visiting students' homes or by inviting students to their own homes for Shabbat meals. On Shabbat afternoons we offer various activities in the Beit Midrash and Clubhouse along with Seudah Shelishit.

Our Clubhouse allows students to relax and also enables them to develop and build positive social skills by engaging in supervised interactive activities. For example, students can read books from our growing collection, listen to music, use computers, watch movies or play ping pong, pool, chess, checkers or backgammon. There is also an outside court for sports such as basketball and soccer. The clubhouse is opened during afternoon and evening hours, and special activities may be organized as a result of the students' positive behavior or their increased efforts during class hours. There is also an exercise room equipped with items such as a treadmill, weights, mats and punching bags. The atmosphere in the Clubhouse, the Beit Midrash and the classrooms is characteristic of the environment we're striving to develop, one in which each student can find for himself a safe and nurturing haven in a warm, positive and structured Torah based framework.

We also organize special evenings, such as swimming night, basketball games in a professional court and barbeques with music and singing. At least once a month we organize educational day trips, exploring various historical sites and hiking trails while enjoying and appreciating the immense natural beauty of Eretz Yisrael. At least once a year we organize an overnight trip which lasts several days.