Head of Ra'anana? No, the boy from Rosh HaAyin who dreamed of a local hesder yeshiva
Rabbi Gilad Hala, head of the hesder yeshiva in Rosh HaAyin, told an Arutz 7 podcast that the school has become a visible religious and social presence in the city. He said residents tell him, “You lit up the neighborhood, you lit up Rosh HaAyin,” and described the yeshiva as “a lighthouse” that still operates from several temporary sites because it does not yet have a permanent building.
Hala said he was born and raised in Rosh HaAyin and had long dreamed of a hesder yeshiva there, though he did not expect to be the one to lead it. The school started from scratch, now has about 120 students, and is nearing construction of its main building. He said the project faced opposition from some residents, especially in the Rosh HaAyin HaHadasha area, and that the dispute even reached the Supreme Court. He believes the permanent campus is now close.
He also described the yeshiva’s Friday-day kollel, which began with only 10 to 15 people and is now full. Students, alumni, and city residents study there, including people from different backgrounds. The yeshiva also runs year-round volunteer work for the elderly, monthly learning programs with Ohel Shalom schools, help for individuals in need, and support for bereaved families. On Memorial Day, he said, the whole yeshiva joined local families of fallen residents.
Hala said the yeshiva’s educational motto is to build “a human level” through Torah and faith, with an emphasis on character and practical readiness for life. He warned that Torah study without integrity and good traits is meaningless. He also discussed wartime service issues, the place of women paramedics in combat units, and said some students volunteered for armored corps service because the army needed them. Looking ahead, he said he wants to grow the yeshiva to 150 or 200 students and add a teaching and rabbinic kollel, while continuing efforts to establish a Haredi branch of a hesder track, including military service in the Haredi “Hashmonaim” unit.
