For much of Jewish history children were sent away from home at very young ages, even before bar mitzvah, to learn in other cities. In Europe, before the war, traveling was difficult, and boys sometimes did not see their families for long periods of time. Today, in Baltimore, we are fortunate to have many choices of high schools, and families do not have to make that difficult choice.
One of the rebbeim I talked to for the purpose
of this article explained, “There is a great advantage to having younger
teenagers, during the turbulent period when they are maturing, close to their
families. They can have the support and love of their mothers and the good
example of their fathers. They can be raised by their parents rather than by
their roommates! That way, the yeshiva is in partnership with the parents.” He
continued, “Rav Shach felt it was very important that every city in Eretz
Yisrael have a yeshiva for boys where they could live at home until they were
at least 16.”
To help parents
make the choice of where to send their eighth-grade sons next year, I contacted
these schools to get some of the details.
Talmudical Academy-Yeshivas Chofetz Chaim
TA is the oldest yeshiva high school in
Baltimore, having been founded in 1944. Rabbi Yisrael Lefkovitz, who became
the high school’s menahel this
school year, has brought a new spirit of love and enthusiasm to the
yeshiva, creating an environment that fosters learning and growth in both limudei kodesh and limudei chol among the yeshiva’s 80 bachurim. According to Rabbi Lefkovitz, the goal of the
yeshiva is to create bnei Torah who are fully prepared to
continue on the path of learning in any yeshiva the boys choose after high
school and be prepared for a professional career. “We want all possibilities to
be open for our boys,” says Rabbi Lefkovitz.
The
yeshiva strives to create an atmosphere of simchas hachaim and simchas
haTorah. Incentive programs encourage the boys to learn early in the
morning and in the evenings. The excellent rebbeim work to
establish real relationships with the boys that continue long after high school
is over. The yeshiva focuses on giving individual attention to each boy.
“It is definitely not a cookie-cutter approach,” says Rabbi Yakov
Frand, the eleventh-grade rebbe. “The rebbeim look for every opportunity
to help each bachur succeed with
individual attention and a lot of positive reinforcement.”
The
secular department of the yeshiva offers college preparatory classes, AP
classes, STEM classes, a computer lab, science lab, and more. The school also
features Shabbatonim, trips, intramural basketball league, and other
extracurricular activities to help in the development of each bachur.
Boys
can apply to TA high school by filling out an online application on the
website talmudicalacademy.org. They will then be invited to come for an
interview and a tour.
Ner Israel
Mechina
Ner Israel High School
is located on the main yeshiva campus on Mt. Wilson Lane. The
Rosh Mechina of the high school is Rabbi Simcha Cook, and the English
principal is Rabbi Azriel Hauptman. Its approximately 240 students encompass
three ninth grades, three tenth grades, and two eleventh and twelfth grades.
Two thirds of the students are from Baltimore and the other third is from out
of town. The yeshiva gets about 140 applications each year for 60 slots.
The Baltimore boys have a bed in the dorm and are
required to be in yeshiva for most Shabbosim. Ninth- and tenth-grade boys
can go home every night during the week if they want to, and eleventh- and
twelfth-grade boys can go home once a week. No cars are permitted for high
school boys, and the boys are discouraged from getting licenses during the high
school years.
According to Rabbi Cook, the goal of the yeshiva is to
form the boys into bnei Torah and ovdei Hashem. They
teach the boys to feel a responsibility to the tzibur and
to Klal Yisrael. By the time they finish high school, boys should
know how to learn and have completed four bekiyus masechtas.
That doesn’t mean that the yeshiva neglects the
secular department. The boys get a solid general studies education, which leads
to a high school diploma and the ability to pursue a degree or a profession. AP
classes are also offered in certain subjects. The yeshiva demands that the boys
treat the secular part of the day as important, and a boy cannot excel in limudei
kodesh without also doing well in secular studies.
The yeshiva has a baseball field, a football field,
and a basketball court that are lit up at night so the boys can use them during
their free time and after Maariv.
Rabbi Cook says, “The yeshiva prides itself on its
diversity. We take boys from all different backgrounds and from all over the
country. The ninth grade has a special class for boys who come from weaker
backgrounds to help them catch up to the level of the yeshiva.”
Of course, Ner Israel’s high school has the advantage
of being connected to the whole yeshiva, which includes a beis
hamedrash and a kollel. The high school learns in the
yeshiva beis hamedrash every night with the beis
hamedrash boys. Many of the kollel members give chaburahs to
the high school boys, and every boy has an opportunity to have a relationship
with Rabbi Aharon Feldman, the Rosh Hayeshiva, who is one of the gedolim.
Yeshiva of Greater Washington
The Yeshiva of Greater Washington has been in
existence for 55 years. Located in Silver Spring, Maryland, the yeshiva
offers roundtrip transportation to and from Baltimore and, this year, includes
15 talmidim from the Baltimore area. The Rosh Hayeshiva
is Rav Ahron Lopiansky. The Menahel is Rabbi Amram Hes. The general studies
principal is Rabbi Shimon Wiggins. There are about 25 students in each
grade.
Rabbi
Hes describes the yeshiva’s goals: “To root each bachur with a
passion for learning through energetic and dynamic rebbeim, to give
the talmidim the tools to continue learning well beyond their
high school years, to show them the beauty of Yiddishkeit in general
and how each boy can find his own niche in Torah, and to make sure every talmid understands
that a rebbe is not just a teacher of Torah but an ally for life.”
YGW
promotes uncompromised, authentic, and traditional learning for any Torah-true
young man. It is meant for a boy who can thrive in and appreciate an environment
where the students share the same goal, although coming from different
backgrounds – a yeshiva “without labels,” where a boy with peyos and
a black hat is learning behasmadah with a boy wearing a kippa serugah. “Over
the years, the yeshiva has been gratified to note the eagerness
with which the various mosdos in
Eretz Yisrael have welcomed their talmidim,”
says Rabbi Hes, “because of the gentility and polish displayed in the
character of the boys.”
Students
graduate with a high school diploma that meets Maryland state
standards. Honors and AP courses are offered. There are many
extracurricular activities, including a mock trial team, a school
newspaper, and a robotics class. They also have a basketball and
football team.
To
enroll in the yeshiva, please be in touch with Rabbi Hes at 301-649-7077 ex: 1528
or ahes@yeshiva.edu.
You may also contact Mr. Shlomo Berman at 301-649-7077 ex: 1525 or sberman@yeshiva.edu.
Bais Hamedrash and Mesivta of Baltimore
The yeshiva was founded 25 years ago
by Rabbi Zvi Dov Slanger, z”tl, and the
current Rosh Hayeshiva is his son-in-law, Rabbi Chaim Cohen. The yeshiva
has 120 boys enrolled in the high school, with a mixture
of both local and out of town talmidim.
Dormitory facilities are available, and the boys are expected to be in yeshiva
for Shabbos.
The shiurim at
the Bais Hamedrash and Mesivta of Baltimore are taught at a challenging
level, and the talmidim are highly
motivated to learn and grow. The yeshiva has a full secular studies department
headed by Rabbi Mordechai Feigenbaum, and the students earn a high school
diploma upon completion. There are no formal sports programs, however, the boys
may play ball on the outdoor courts during their free time.
Boys who wish to apply to the
yeshiva should email office@bhmb.edu or
call 410-486-0006.
Mesivta Neimus HaTorah
Mesivta Neimus HaTorah is in its sixteenth year. The Rosh Mesivta is Rabbi Leib Schulman, and the English principal
is Mr. Emanuel Hakakian. There are 17 boys in the yeshiva currently. Most are
ninth- and tenth-graders, and six boys are currently in the eleventh and
twelfth grades.
Mesivta Neimus HaTorah helps boys who are
struggling academically succeed. Rabbi Schulman says, “We recognize that many
academic issues begin with other issues, and attempt to deal with the entirety
of each boy’s situation.”
About two-thirds of the boys are from out
of town and a third is from Baltimore. The yeshiva owns its building, the old
Bais Isaac building on Crest Heights Road, which includes a dorm for the
out-of-town boys. The Baltimore boys live at home. The day begins with Shacharis at 8 a.m. and
continues through 8:30 pm.
The goal of the yeshiva is to help each
boy have a positive connection to Torah and the tzibur, regardless of his abilities and past experiences. The boys
earn a Maryland State high school diploma. The yeshiva has organized
extracurricular activities and almost daily sports games with the participation
of the rebbeim. There is a very
strong emphasis on derech eretz. A boy who wants to apply to this
yeshiva should get in touch with Rabbi Schulman at 610-613-6934.
Kesser Torah
Kesser Torah is one of
Baltimore’s newest yeshivas. Founded by Rabbi Tzvi Mordechai Feldheim, Rosh
Hayeshiva, and his son Rabbi Avrohom Feldheim, Menahel, in 2017, the yeshiva
already has close to 90 bachurim in
its high school. The yeshiva, which is intended to be for local bachurim, is situated on a beautiful
40-plus-acre campus on Park Heights Avenue just past Hooks Lane. Last year, the
yeshiva celebrated its first twelfth-grade graduating class.
This year, under the leadership of Kesser Torah’s Rosh
Yeshiva, Rabbi Nosson Newman, a Beis
Medrash program has started on campus. The Beis Medrash includes graduates of KT in addition to bachurim from Lakewood, Monsey,
Brooklyn, and other locations along the East Coast. The addition of the Beis Medrash has proved to be a
tremendous asset to the high school as having older role models only enhances
the growth of each talmid.
While Kesser Torah has a dormitory with accommodations
for each bachur, only the eleventh
and twelfth grades stay nightly, while the ninth and tenth grades have the
opportunity to stay on Shabbos and Yomim Tovim. Rebbeim rotate staying on
campus for Shabbos and ensure that the environment is full of achdus,
learning, and ru’ach. The yeshiva provides three meals a day as talmidim are on campus from 7:45 a.m. to
9:30 p.m.
The Menahel expressed that the goal of the yeshiva is
to produce passionate bnei Torah, young men who will become lamdanim
and enjoy limud haTorah. The yeshiva is looking for bachurim who want to
learn and are dedicated and interested in becoming bnei Torah. The
yeshiva has a unique and accredited general studies department, run by Rabbi
Moshe Dovid Robinson, Principal, and Rabbi Mordechai Weissmann, Curriculum
Coordinator, that uses a Torah-based curriculum created by Machon Menoras Hachochmah,
a sister organization of the yeshiva that supplies content to close to 20
yeshivos across the country. The content of the curriculum is task-oriented,
skill-based, and utilizes Torah hashkafos. More can be learned about The
Machon by visiting TheMachon.org.
Yeshivas Toras
Chaim
Located on Clarks Lane and Cross Country, Yeshivas
Toras Chaim is looking for a boy who is sincere and excited to grow in his
learning and avodas Hashem. Rabbi Chanina Szendro, Rabbi Ayson Englander, and Rabbi Mordechai
Salzberg lead the yeshiva, whose day extends from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 with a one
hour of night seder in
the evening. The yeshiva is committed to staying small – with 30
boys presently and a maximum of 12 boys per grade – in order
to give each boy personal attention. Seven boys from out of town live with a
boarding family in a recently purchased house next to the yeshiva.
Shiurim are
taught by caring, stellar rebbeim with a focus on building learning skills to
fully prepare the bachurim for beis medrash. The rebbeim are committed
to helping every talmid grow as a ben Torah. On an average day, all of the
rebbeim find extra time to learn with or talk to talmidim individually. Toras Chaim also has a rigorous and engaging
secular studies program, with excellent teachers, where the boys can earn a
high school diploma. Math and technology classes are taught according to the
level of the boys. In addition to a standard high school curriculum, the
yeshiva offers classes in personal finance, cyber-security, robotics, and
computer programming. Individualized incentives and motivational programs are
carefully crafted to maintain a happy and positive environment where bachurim can keep growing and learning
even beyond the regular sedarim.
In addition to playing sports, a wide variety of
extracurricular activities are offered during the 45-minute
break. “We give the boys lots of opportunity to learn things hands
on and participate in other programs,” says Rabbi Szendro. “We have
equipment to learn video production. We have an archery program, a construction
program, and a personal trainer for the boys who want to exercise in our gym.
The boys are currently renovating the basement of our new property next door to
the yeshiva. They make barbeques, manage the yeshiva’s website,
create videos, and help with landscaping. We want to make sure
that they finish each day feeling productive and accomplished, in fulfillment
of our slogan: “Simcha through success,
success through simcha.”
Mesivta Shaarei
Chaim
Mesivta Shaarei
Chaim is one of the newest high schools on the Baltimore scene. The Rosh
Mesivta is Rabbi Daniel Wilhelm, the Menahel is Rabbi Yona Yaakov Lapidus, the
English principal is Rabbi Gershon Reiselsheimer, and Rabbi Alexander Seinfeld
is the general studies curriculum coordinator. This is the second year of the
yeshiva’s existence, and it has already grown 425%, from the first ninth-grade
class of four students to the current ninth grade of 17 students. The yeshiva
is located in the Etz Chaim building on Fords Lane but hopes to buy its own
building in the not too distant future.
Rabbi Lapidus
explains, “At Mesivta Shaarei Chaim, we firmly believe that the cornerstone of
any bachur’s future success is a strong foundation in learning. We
therefore focus heavily on ensuring that each bachur is acquiring the
skills to learn on his own – and is enjoying it! Our goal is for every
one of our talmidim to become a true ben Torah who can learn well
and keep Torah learning central to his life. While we have high standards and
expectations for our talmidim, we work hard to create a nurturing
environment whereby each talmid feels valued and respected. We want
the growth to be real and come from within.
“As one parent
concurred, ‘The approach of the hanhala is to guide bachurim toward
growth in a positive and encouraging way. This makes them want to grow,
and when they do, they feel like a million dollars!’” continues Rabbi Lapidus.
“Another parent expressed with pride, ‘They stand for pure emes, no
fluff or fakeness, and it makes a great impression on the bachurim,
giving them a clear path to greatness with true role models in Torah and mentshlichkeit.’”
Almost all the
boys in the yeshiva are from Baltimore, and the yeshiva provides three meals a
day. The day begins at 7:45 with Shacharis and ends after Ma’ariv at 9:05. The
general studies teachers are knowledgeable in their fields but are also role
models of middos tovos and sound hashkafos. They are teaching
their subjects in ways that are relatable, practical, and engaging for the talmidim.
The goal of the Mesivta is for
there to be no wasted time, and for all subjects to be taken seriously.
Graduates of Shaarei Chaim will have a high school diploma.
Shaarei Chaim
prides itself on making sure that talmidim are working hard and accomplishing
a lot, but also that that they are enjoying themselves. Besides offering a very
enthusiastically received gym program Sunday afternoons, they have
Thursday night mishmar, with cholent made by the bachurim, Sunday
afternoon hands-on courses on treifus and safrus, an end-of-bein-hazmanim
barbeque that includes a full array of foods and desserts with a beautiful
ending kumzitz for those talmidim who met their bein hazmanim
learning goals There is a game room with a ping-pong table, foosball table, and
mini-library for use bein hasedarim. The talmidim are encouraged
to form a strong kesher with their rebbeim – be it through an oneg Shabbos, shalosh
seudos, or mesibos at their rebbe’s home. There are also
occasional afternoon trips for meeting requirements in the secular studies
department.
To apply to the
yeshiva, apply online at www.shaareichaimbaltimore.org or call the office at
410-656-9827.
Yeshivat Mekor Chaim
One of the
newer yeshivos in our community, Yeshivat Mekor Chaim is in its third year. It
is currently located in the JCC Park Heights building and has grades nine
through eleven, so far. Rabbi Elie Tuchman is the principal of the school, and
Rabbi Uri Grosberg is the assistant principal. School hours are from 8
a.m. to 6 p.m.
“The first goal of the yeshiva is that the boys grow
and progress in their relationship with Hashem though learning and mitzvos,”
says Rabbi Tuchman. “We try to develop the whole boy and help him reach
his potential.”
The yeshiva has a high quality general studies program
to prepare students for higher learning. Instead of AP classes, it offers
college classes to the upper grades through Baltimore County Community college.
Many extracurricular classes are offered as well. The ninth grade takes a class
in digital media, where they learn to produce films from start to finish. The
tenth grade has class in the fundamentals of art and design. A school
basketball team plays against other schools, both Jewish and non-Jewish.
Rabbi Tuchman continues, “Our yeshiva prides itself on
its sense of community. The students feel close to each other and have amazing
relationships with their rebbeim and teachers. We try to instill in our boys a
sense of responsibility, the sense that, in the end, each boy is in charge of
himself and should have his own goals and plans. In life, no one is going to
force you to do anything. We give our boys the skills to reach their own goals.”
A boy who wants to apply to the yeshiva should call
410-578-1111 and speak to Rabbi Tuchman or Rabbi Grosberg. Or email them at etuchman@yeshivatmekorchaim.org
or ugrosberg@yeshivatmekorchaim.org.
