- Ohr Somayach, Monsey
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For other uses of "Ohr Somayach", see Ohr Somayach (disambiguation).
Ohr Somayach Location Monsey, New York Information Type Baal teshuva Yeshiva Established 1977 Affiliation Orthodox Judaism Rashei Yeshiva Rabbi Yisroel Rokowsky and
Rabbi Yisroel Simcha SchorrWebsite www.os.edu Ohr Somayach, Monsey, (officially titled the Ohr Somayach Tanenbaum Educational Center), is an accredited[citation needed] men's college of Judaic studies offering both full and part time programs.
Its curriculum is designed to provide students with an appreciation for and understanding of classical Jewish texts and Jewish philosophy and from an Orthodox Jewish perspective.
In addition, the yeshiva runs an outreach program called Legacy Retreats.
Contents
History
In 1977, the Ohr Somayach yeshiva in Jerusalem, Israel established an American campus in Yonkers, New York. After two years, Rabbi Ezriel Tauber together with a group of lay leaders purchased land in Monsey, New York to service a full time Judaic learning center.
Monsey was chosen because of its proximity to New York City (approximately 35 miles (56 km) northwest of the city) as well as the Jewish local infrastructure that ensured easy availability of kosher food and amenities.
They maintained the name Ohr Somayach and enlisted Rabbi Yisroel Rokowsky as dean.
Faculty
- Rabbi Yisroel Rokowsky, co-Rosh Yeshiva, is a student of Rabbi Berel Soloveitchik of Jerusalem.
- Rabbi Yisroel Simcha Schorr, co-Rosh Yeshiva, is an alumnus of Yeshiva Torah Vodaas and Bais Medrash Elyon. Rabbi Schorr is currently the senior editor of the English Artscroll Talmud, and teaches the highest level class in the Beis Midrash program. He also gives a weekly class on the Parsha Hashavua.
- Rabbi Naftali Reich, Executive Director, a graduate of Gateshead Talmudical College with smicha from Beth Medrash Gevoha in Lakewood, NJ. Rabbi Reich started the outreach division, “Legacy,” and gives lectures in hashkafa (Jewish philosophy) and Hasidic thought.
Student body
The student body hails from across North America and most countries with a Jewish population. For many students, Ohr Somayach is their first exposure to full-time Jewish and Torah study. For more advanced students, higher-level classes are offered with the aim of acquiring the skills for self-sufficient in Talmud study.
Campus
The yeshiva is located in Monsey, New York on a 14-acre (57,000 m2) campus which includes a beit midrash and a residence facility. A large retreat and conference center with an adjacent gymnasium is currently under construction.
Monsey is home to many Haredi and Hasidic communities, whose residents often provide students with Shabbat hospitality.
See also
- Ohr Somayach, Jerusalem, its counterpart in Israel
- Baal teshuva
- Yeshiva
External links
Categories:- Ohr Somayach
- Haredi Judaism in the United States
- Orthodox yeshivas in Monsey, New York
- Baalei teshuva institutions
- Educational institutions established in 1977
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