History and Mission Statement
Yeshivat HaKotel was founded in the summer of 1967, just weeks after the miraculous victory of the Six day War allowed the Jewish people to return to the Old City of Jerusalem, to bring Am Yisrael in Eretz Yisrael together with Torat Yisrael. There is no better place to accomplish this three-fold goal than at Yeshivat HaKotel in the Old City of Jerusalem. The Old City enhances both the emotional and intellectual components of Torah learning. Only someone who has personally experienced this can fully comprehend this added dimension.
Torat Yisrael
Developing love for and ability to learn is the Yeshiva’s primary objective. Although concentrated on Gemara, Yeshivat Hakotel’s multi-faceted learning program includes significant opportunities to study Tanach, Halacha, Emunah, Machshava, and Mussar in a meaningful way.
Eretz Yisrael
Hakotel sees learning in Israel as a means of connecting to Am Yisrael’s return to Eretz Yisrael.
Being at Hakotel is not just learning about our history, but experiencing and becoming part of it. Talmidim connect to the history of Eretz Yisrael as well as the modern miracle of the State of Israel.
Am Yisrael
Achdut (Unity) – Yeshivat Hakotel fosters Achdut amongst its students by breaking down cultural barriers that often divide Jews of different countries of origin. This feeling of brotherhood permeates all aspects of Yeshiva life including classes, dormitory residence, and leisure time.
Respect By Learning From All– Yeshivat Hakotel very much identifies with the dictum of the Mishneh in Avot (4:1) that the wise man is the one who learns from all people. We broaden talmidim’s horizons and help them respect different types of Jews by teaching different types of Jewish philosophies and hashkafot (Litvish, Chassidish, rationalist, Kabbalistic…).
Communal Responsibility – We educate towards being part of the larger Jewish community, which includes the Jews of Yerushalayim, the State of Israel, and around the globe. Yeshivat Hakotel teaches the importance of reaching out to uninformed and assimilated Jews, and imparts the tools necessary to do so.
