Culture05:31 · 12m ago

Religious Zionist Yeshivas See Record Enrollment for New Academic Year

Arutz ShevaRight

Translated & summarized from Arutz Sheva by baba

Key points

01Religious Zionist yeshivas report record first-year student enrollment this academic year.
02Yeshivat Hesder Afikei Da'at in Sderot has the largest first-year class with 210 students.
03Several major yeshivas, including Har Etzion and Mercaz HaRav, have over 100 new students each.
04New yeshivas and branches have opened, while some planned institutions remain uncertain.
05Some yeshivas did not open first-year classes this year, and data from others are pending.

In this story

People

Eran Tamir, Zalman Melamed, Dvir Shachar, Eli Elkasselsi, Uzi Chovav, Chaim Baruch, Kfir Alon, Israel Ariel

OrganizationsChannel 7, Yeshivat Or Ashkelon, Yeshivat Beit El, Yeshivat Bnei Dekalim, Yeshivat Bnei Rachel, Yeshivat Binyan Ariel, Yeshivat Bruchin, Yeshivat Dror Bechiran

PlacesIsrael, Ashkelon, Beit El, Petah Tikva, Kiryat Arba, Jerusalem, Tiberias, Yokneam

The story · English

The new academic year has begun with a historic peak in student enrollment across Religious Zionist yeshivas and pre-military preparatory programs in Israel. This surge far exceeds population growth rates and reflects a strong trend of increased engagement in Torah study within the Religious Zionist community.

Data compiled from numerous yeshivas nationwide reveal substantial first-year class sizes. For example, Yeshivat Shavei Hebron leads with 135 new students, while Yeshivat Har Etzion reports 140 first-year students, including 70 from abroad. Yeshivat Hesder Afikei Da'at in Sderot has the largest single first-year class with 210 students. Other notable yeshivas include Beit El with 104 new students and Mercaz HaRav with 107.

The report also covers many Hesder yeshivas (combining Torah study with military service) and pre-military academies, which similarly show significant growth. Several new yeshivas and branches have opened this year, such as Yeshivat Givat Ze'ev and Yeshivat Shlomi, while some planned institutions have yet to open or remain uncertain.

Some yeshivas did not open first-year classes this year, including Yeshivat Mevaser Shalom in Haifa and Yeshivat HaRaayon HaYehudi. Additionally, data from several yeshivas and preparatory programs are still pending.

This comprehensive overview highlights a vibrant and expanding Religious Zionist Torah learning landscape, with many institutions reporting record enrollments and new initiatives underway for the coming year.

Read the original at Arutz Sheva