Yeshivat Derech HaMelechB"H
A "Yeshiva" is a religious Jewish study institute. To be more precise in an Israeli sense, the term "Yeshiva" refers to the male students and the terms "Seminary or Michlalah" refer to the females. However, English speakers widely use both terms for female and male study institute.
Concentrating more on male students: When people speak about Jerusalem's Anglo Yeshivot, they mostly refer to places like AISH HATORAH or OHR SAMEACH. These two Yeshivot are famous and one of the reasons may be that they invest a lot in public relations. Furthermore, their students tell others about the Yeshiva programmes and this way, they are getting even more attention.
Another famous haredi Yeshiva is the MIR Yeshiva having a slightly more serious touch when you compare it to Aish or Ohr Sameach.
All three Yeshivot are litvish – haredi and accept students from the age of 18 onward. In order to get accepted, you have to be halachically Jewish and you should know some English or Hebrew. For those of you depending on a tight budget: Scholarships are available and, furthermore, the "moral obligation idea" is used. The students is promises that if he has money in the future, he can pay some money back to the Yeshiva. However, these three above mentioned Yeshivot usually don't send anyone away who isn't able to pay.
Unfortunately, most people looking for a study programme mostly concentrate on the big and famous Yeshivot and forget that there are smaller ones as well. Although Aish and Ohr Sameach offer specific programmes (especially for beginners), the new student shouldn't forget about his future. For instance, Aish may be good for beginners but you have to think further ahead. After a while, you feel the desire to become more advanced and then it is time to look for more. Those students decide to follow the haredi path find a great variety of Yeshivot in Jerusalem.
The Yeshiva "Derech HaMelech" is located in a smaller building right at the main road of Kiryat Mattersdorf (Jerusalem), in Sorotzkin Street No. 16. "Derech HaMelech" means something like "the way of the King" and the King is G – d.
Last week, I spoke to the administrator of the Yeshiva, Raphael Kalish, and asked him for a few further details. Before I went to Kiryat Mattersdorf I thought that, as a female, I may be a little displaced going to a guy's Yeshiva and asking questions; however, already my first impression was that the students do talk to women.
"Derech HaMelech" was founded about four years ago by Rabbi Baruch Gartner and at the moment, 35 students are studying there. Lectures are given in English and almost all the students come from the States and other Anglo countries. Nevertheless, Jewish students from all over the world are welcomed but should be able to speak English. "Derech HaMelech" accepts "Frum from Birth" people as well as Baalei Teshuva (those who became religious later on in their lives). Dormitories are available !
The Yeshiva's ideology is teaching haredi Yiddishkeit (Judaism) with a chassidic approach. This ideology seems to be unique, as most litvishe Yeshivot hardly offer any Chassidut classes or a chassidic approach. But over the past years, something has been changing a bit because also many litvishe Baalei Teshuva feel a desire for more spirituality and Aish HaTorah in Jerusalem introduced some Chassidut classes a while ago. Before, a few Aish students were just running around the corner to Chabad in order to find some "food for their souls". And , as you can surely imagine, Chabad did't want the Aish people to go back to Aish and Aish didn't want the students to have anything to do with Chabad. "Derech HaMelech, however, wants to combine regular studies and Chassidut.
If you look at the curriculum you may notice that Derech HaMelech "only offers" approx. one hour of Chassidut studies and all other classes are Talmud, Torah, etc. I asked Raphael Kalish why the Chassidut variety seems to be smaller than I expected. "If you look at the chassidic history you may become aware of the fact that most chassidic rabbis / groups taught Torah and Talmud. There were hardly any pure Chassidut classes except for Chabad and Breslov. What did take place was teaching Torah with chassidic insights and we try doing the same. If our students want to learn more Chassidut they are welcomed to do so and can do study privately.
If the students later on decide to join a chassidic group ?
Yes, some do. Once we had a student who went back to Monsey and joined the Toldot Aharon but most of our students concentrate on the more open chassidic groups. Many of us, although chassidic, still follow the "two footed concept": One foot in this world and the second foot in the chassidic world.
This makes it much easier for a newcomer to adjust into Chassidut. If he was just running after all the extremes, he would soon be depressed. Thinking about getting closer to a chassidic group and totally giving up your former life is hardly ever productive. Suddenly you miss listening to regular music, watching a movie or reading a novel. A newcomer should always take it slowly and do everything at his own pace. But, first of all, he has to find out his pace and capabilities.
Personally I liked the idea that a Yeshiva is giving some assistance to its students in this respect. Unfortunately, most institutes want you to be either way as soon as you are walking through the door. Before running over to Chabad or Breslov, you should at least try to find out about Chassidut and its great variety. Not jumping into one concept and thinking that this is it. I wish that more Yeshivot would follow this concept and not only pushing the students into one way of thinking.
Up to a certain amount, I like studying independently. Talking to people about different ideas and concepts. In a religious manner, of course, but it also is very important to keep his own personality and not just getting brainwashed and following one ideology like sheep.
How "Derech HaMelech" finances itself ?
Raphael Kalish starts laughing and points his finger towards heaven. "He is taking care of us", he says. At the moment, the Yeshiva finances itself through a generous raffle and through donations.
If I was a male and looking for a Yeshiva with a chassidic approach, "Derech HaMelech" would definitely be on my consideration list. Who of us does not know about the difficulties of becoming or being religious ? Sometimes feeling more attached to our world and sometimes more to the chassidic world. We undergo various moods and in order to make it easier, we need to be here and there. I admit that there might be people out there claiming that being here and there is not healthy and too confusing. But let me tell you from my own experience that it helps a lot when I have the feeling that my decisions don't have to be either this way or the other. The middle way can be much more productive and healthier for the soul.
Another point speaking for "Derech HaMelech" is that it is a smaller Yeshiva and the student is getting more attention than elsewhere. Bigger Yeshivot sometimes feel like factories where you walk in, get a particular shape and come out ready to function. Just like the final product of an assembly line.
At the moment, two students are receiving a scholarship from "Derech HaMelech".
Website mit allen Infos:
http://www.derechhamelech.org
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