By COLlive reporter
More than 10 years ago, legendary Talmudic commentator Rabbi Even-Yisroel Steinsaltz established the Tekoa Yeshiva, located in the northern Judean hills, in the Gush Etzion block, south of Jerusalem.
Its 140 students, most of which are religious Zionists, either learn in the Hesder program which combines Talmudic studies with military service in the Israel Defense Forces or in its Smicha rabbinic ordination program.
A third program is now being opened for English speaking bochurim from the United States, Canada, Britain and Australia.
In addition to learning Gemara, Chassidus and halacha, bochurim will be treated to farbrengens with Rabbi Even-Yisroel every Thursday night and on special Chassidic days.
On Friday afternoons they will be traveling to Jerusalem to do Mivtzoim, offering men to put on Tefillin and women Shabbos candles.
During Bein Hazmanim vacations there will be “get to know Israel” tours enabling the bochurim to travel to holy sites and other attractions of the Holy land.
“The idea is to create a person that will be a Chassid inside, oved Hashem in real experience, and somebody who will continue to grow even afterwards,” Rabbi Even-Yisroel told COLlive.com.
“My goals are to help develop bochurim that will have far more in their inside than in their outside – meaning that their identity will not be expressed by their dress or the way their hats are put, but rather in an essence of growing spiritually, of becoming a decent Jewish person, of not just being a sitting member of a school but rather a person that gets enough sustenance not only for the time he is in the Yeshiva but for many years after.
We asked him what type of Lubavich bochur will fit the program.
He answered, “One who really intends to study, grow and develop, and not just to be a member of a group. The group is important, but far more important is the person who is willing, in himself, to make the effort and to work very hard in developing.”
In what way are the Rebbe’s ideas reflected in this program?
“The Rebbe’s ideas were always focused on making the best of what exists. For the Rebbe, the sky was surely not the limit, and for a bochur to be a lamdan, oived and involved in helping the Jewish people was just the beginning of an idea, the beginning of a plan that the people themselves will make it bigger and more significant.”
What is your connection with the bochurim?
“It will be, mostly, to push them beyond what they can do by themselves, and beyond what their Rosh Yeshivas can do with them. When they feel that they have done something significant, that is the right time to begin a bigger, grander effort.”
Bochurim ages 17-19 can apply. Interviews will be held in Crown Heights with Rabbi Michel Falk during the week of Gimmel Tammuz. He can be reached at 443-929-6812 or email: michelfalk18@gmail.com
B”H
Plzz post names of Bachurim that went and what there experience was …if possible thank you
My friend learned there with rav steinsaltz this past year and has grown tremendously intellectually and spiritually. I highley reccomend this program to any bocher looking to broaden his horizons in limmud hanigleh and limmud hachasidus. Hatzloche rabba!
It sounds but I still don’t understand what type of yeshiva it will be…. Is it for a chasidishe Bochur? Will it be like oholeu Torah.. Moristown…. Or is it more for a unique type of person…
It’s a good place to grow and learn. I know some bochrurim in the yeshiva.
I met an English speaking bochur who is currently learning in tekoah (he joined the Hebrew/Isreali program) and i was verry impressed. its so obvious to me that this program is truly unique and amazing… observing this bochers true ahava and understanding of why we do the simple day to day things that we do was so thoughtout, undersood and content.
good luck to who ever has the guts to sign up for this program.
i have a friend there and he loves it… hope it works out for everyone! hatzlocha raba!
omg!!!!!!!!!!!!
rabbi steinzalts your the best