Beth Medrash Govoha (Hebrew: בית מדרש גבוה) is the largest Talmudical Academy in the United States. A Haredi institution, it was founded in 1943 by Rabbi Aharon Kotler in Lakewood Township New Jersey where it remains. Comprising a yeshiva as well as a kollel, it currently has an enrollment of over 4700 undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate students. It can also be referred to as Bais Medrash Govoha, BMG, or Lakewood Yeshiva. The date of establishment or date of founding of an institution is the date on which that institution chooses to claim as its starting point. ... This article is about the Jewish educational system. ... Orthodox Judaism is the formulation of Judaism that adheres to a relatively strict interpretation and application of the laws and ethics first canonized in the Talmudic texts (The Oral Law) and as subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and Acharonim. ... In an educational setting, a dean is a person with significant authority . ... Rabbi Aryeh Malkiel Kotler is the Rosh yeshiva, or Dean, of the Beth Medrash Govoha yeshiva in Lakewood Township, New Jersey. ... Alternate uses: Student (disambiguation) Etymologically derived through Middle English from the Latin second-type conjugation verb stŭdērĕ, which means to study, a student is one who studies. ... In some educational systems, undergraduate education is post-secondary education up to the level of a Bachelors degree. ... Map of Lakewood Township in Ocean County Lakewood Township is a Township located in Ocean County, New Jersey. ... Official language(s) None, English de facto Capital Trenton Largest city Newark Area  Ranked 47th  - Total 8,729 sq mi (22,608 km²)  - Width 70 miles (110 km)  - Length 150 miles (240 km)  - % water 14. ... The city of San Francisco, an example of an urban area. ... Hebrew redirects here. ... Haredi Judaism, also called ultra-Orthodox Judaism, is the most theologically conservative form of Judaism. ... Rabbi, in Judaism, means teacher, or more literally great one. The word Rabbi is derived from the Hebrew root word רַב, rav, which in biblical Hebrew means great or distinguished (in knowledge). Sephardic and Yemenite Jews pronounce this word רִבִּי ribbÄ«; the modern Israeli pronunciation רַבִּי rabbÄ« is derived from a recent (18th... Aharon (or Ahroyn, Aaron, Aron) Kotler (1890s - 1962) was a prominent leader of Orthodox Judaism in Lithuania, and later the United States of America. ... Map of Lakewood Township in Ocean County Lakewood Township is a Township located in Ocean County, New Jersey. ... Official language(s) None, English de facto Capital Trenton Largest city Newark Area  Ranked 47th  - Total 8,729 sq mi (22,608 km²)  - Width 70 miles (110 km)  - Length 150 miles (240 km)  - % water 14. ... This article is about the Jewish educational system. ... A kollel (Hebrew: כולל; a gathering/collection [of scholars] is an institute for advanced studies of the Talmud and of rabbinic literature for post-graduate Jewish adults, essentially a yeshiva which pays married men a regular monthly stipend or annual salary (and/or provides housing and meals) to study Judaisms...

The yeshiva is licensed by the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education and accredited by the Association of Advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic Schools^[1]. It is authorized to grant bachelor's degrees and master's degrees in Talmudics to those students who apply and qualify for the degrees, as well as a post-master's certificate in Talmudic studies. The New Jersey Commission on Higher Education is a government agency in New Jersey that is responsible to provide coordination, planning, policy development, and advocacy for the states higher education system. ... Accreditation is a process by which a facilitys services and operations are examined by a third-party accrediting agency to determine if applicable standards are met. ... The Association of Advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic Schools (AARTS) is a non-profit accreditation association for Rabbinical and Talmudic schools. ... A bachelors degree (Artium Baccalaureus, A.B. or B.A.) is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course or major that generally lasts for three, four, or in some cases and countries, five or six years. ... A masters degree is an academic degree usually awarded for completion of a postgraduate (or graduate) course of one to three years in duration. ... The first page of the Vilna Edition of the Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Berachot, folio 2a The Talmud (Hebrew: תלמוד) is a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history. ... A certificate is an official document affirming some fact. ...

Faculty

The yeshiva is currently under the direction of a group of four roshei yeshiva: Rabbis Aryeh Malkiel Kotler, Yeruchem Olshin, Dovid Shustal, and Yisroel Neuman. Rabbi Malkiel Kotler is a grandson of Rabbi Aharon Kotler and son of Rabbi Shneur Kotler, and the others are married to Rabbi Aharon Kotler's grandaughters. Rabbi Matisyahu Salomon serves as the mashgiach ruchani and is a well-known lecturer on topics relating to Jewish religious growth and communal issues in the yeshiva world. He has also authored many books on the topic of spiritual growth and development. Rosh yeshiva (Hebrew: ראש ישיבה) (pl. ... Rabbi Aryeh Malkiel Kotler is the Rosh yeshiva, or Dean, of the Beth Medrash Govoha yeshiva in Lakewood Township, New Jersey. ... Aharon (or Ahroyn, Aaron, Aron) Kotler (1890s - 1962) was a prominent leader of Orthodox Judaism in Lithuania, and later the United States of America. ... Rabbi Shneur Kotler as a young man in the 1940s, while studying at the Chevron (Slabodka) yeshiva in Jerusalem Rabbi Shneur Kotler (1918 - 1982) was the son of the famed Talmudic scholar Rabbi Aharon Kotler. ... With Hearts Full of Faith, an Artscroll publication with selected adresses by Rabbi Salomon Rabbi Matisyahu Salomon serves as the mashgiach ruchani of the Beth Medrash Govoha yeshiva in Lakewood, New Jersey. ... Mashgiach ruchani (or Mashgiach, (Hebrew: Spiritual supervisor/guide) is a title that usually refers to a rabbi who has an official position within a yeshiva responsible for the non-academic areas of yeshiva students lives. ...

The financial and administration duties are under the leadership of Aaron Kotler, who is a grandson and carries the name of the founder of the yeshiva. He is also the brother of the Rosh Hayeshiva Rabbi Aryeh Malkiel Kotler. Rabbi Aryeh Malkiel Kotler is the Rosh yeshiva, or Dean, of the Beth Medrash Govoha yeshiva in Lakewood Township, New Jersey. ...

Facilities

Most of the buildings of the Yeshiva are spread out between Sixth Street from the south, Lakewood Avenue from the west, 9th Street from the north, and Clifton Avenue from the east, but not all the buildings in this area belong to the Yeshiva. The Yeshiva has also bought the conservitive and reform houses of worship on 11th street that are to be converted to study halls one that will contain 1000 students the other 1500.

• The Legion building is an old historic building that is located at the corner of Sixth Street and Private Way; it houses the administrative offices of the Yeshiva.

• The dormitory is located on Sixth Street to the west of the Legion building. This building is the oldest dormitory building in use today by the Yeshiva. It has three floors with around twenty two rooms per floor, and around five beds to a room.There is also a basement with about 50 beds in it.Shared bathrooms and showers are located in the center of each floor, with a few exeptions.

The old Beis Medrash

• The old Beis Midrash or main Beis Midrash (beth midrash means a "study hall"), is located on Seventh Street to the northwest of the Dormitory building, its back towards the back of the dormitory building.

This building houses: Image File history File links BMGMBM.jpg‎ The old Beis Madrash Building of BMG. I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links BMGMBM.jpg‎ The old Beis Madrash Building of BMG. I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Beth midrash (or Beit Midrash or Bais Medrash or Bais Medrish) (plural battei midrash) literally means a House of Interpretation or Lecturing or Learning in Hebrew. ...

1. The main study hall, seats 500-600 students.
2. The newly renovated library.
3. The ezras nashim' ("women's section"). Used as a study hall during the week, seats 100-200 students.
4. The offices for the roshei yeshiva

• The dining room is a newly constructed building located on 6th Street west of the dormitory opened in 2002.

This building includes: Rosh yeshiva (Hebrew: ראש ישיבה) (pl. ...

• • A large dining room, which is partitioned into two parts, one as a study hall with seating for approximately 626 students, and the other serving as the dining room. Within the dining room:
  • Two modern kosher kitchens to keep separate kitchens for dairy and meat products.
  • A dining room for staff members.
  • Lecture rooms.
  • Offices

This building is connected to the old main Bais Midrash building. On the first floor it has a small library, and two study halls: Look up kosher in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

• The Ma'arav Beis Midrash ("west study hall"). This comprises two sections that can be divided by a movable partition wall. Seats 600-700 students.
• The Mizrach Beis Midrash ("east study hall"), seats 500-600 students.

Beis Eliyahu

• Beis Eliyahu with seating for about 900 students.

This building located on 7th street across from the main Beis Midrash (northeast to it), originally built out of trailers and contains one big study hall. Image File history File links BMGBE.jpg‎ Beis Eliyahu Building of BMG I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links BMGBE.jpg‎ Beis Eliyahu Building of BMG I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ...

• Beis Shalom (often referred to as the Simcha Room, an allusion to its former service as a ballroom for the now defunct Irvington Hotel) located on 9th Street between Madison and Clifton Avenues, is a newly renovated building that contains a large study hall with seating for 800-900 students.

• "The Irvington" located on 9th Street to the east of Beis Shalom, is an old hotel (from which the name comes) that was converted into a dormitory. It has three floors, a basement, with about twenty five rooms per floor, and four beds per room. Each room has a bathroom and shower. The basement also has a laundry room.

• A small dormitory building is located on Clifton Avenue and 8th Street in a former assisted living facility. It houses approximately sixty students.

Curriculum

The yeshiva studies are based on classical Torah study traditions using the Talmud, Shulchan Aruch, responsa and rabbinic literature as texts and sources. Torah study is the study by Jews of the Torah, Tanakh, Talmud, responsa, rabbinic literature and similar works, all of which are Judaisms religious texts, for the purpose of the mitzvah (commandment) of Torah study itself, meaning study for religious (as opposed to academic) purposes. ... The first page of the Vilna Edition of the Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Berachot, folio 2a The Talmud (Hebrew: תלמוד) is a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history. ... The Shulkhan Arukh (Hebrew: Prepared Table), by Rabbi Yosef Karo is considered the most authoritative compilation of Jewish law since the Talmud. ... Note: This is based on an entry from the 1906 public domain Jewish Encyclopedia The responsa literature, known in Hebrew as Sheelot U-teshuvot (questions and answers), is the body of written decisions and rulings given by rabbis to questions addressed to them. ... Rabbinic literature, in the broadest sense, can mean the entire spectrum of Judaisms rabbinic writing/s throughout history. ...

The daily schedule consists of three sedorim, or study sessions, devoted to study, plus daily prayers and meals. In each session there is usually a main limud' (field/focus of study) based on the Talmud. However there also exists a system of chaburahs (group study) where 10-70 scholars form a chaburah (group) to study specific sub-texts within the Talmud and/or Shulchan Aruch. All of these take place in one of the over eight study halls available throughout the four study buildings of Beth Medrash Govoha. Listed below are some Hebrew prayers and blessings that are part of Judaism that are recited by many Jews. ...

The main limud is always a part of Talmud and is never part of Shulchan Aruch. However the way the Talmud is studied might include the relevant portion of the Shulchan Aruch as an adjunct and complimentary study. Each "chaburah" may differ in the amount of time spent studying the Shulchan Aruch.

Chaburah system

The map hanging in one of the study halls of Beth Madrash Govoha, using highlighting to designate where each Chaburah sits.

At the beginning of each zman (semester) the first day is designated as the tumult day (implying a "rowdy/noisy/busy gathering"). On this day all the students of the yeshivah gather outside the main yeshivah building on 7th street and arrange their chavruses (study partners) for the coming semester, as well as what particular "limud" they will join, which is done through joining a chaburah. Image File history File links BMGMap. ... Image File history File links BMGMap. ...

Every chaburah has a Rosh Chaburah (head/leader of the Chaburah). It is the Rosh Chaburah's responsibility to arrange enough seats for the members of his chaburah and to decide the limud that will take place for the rest of the semester, as well as make sure that there is a lecture given on the subject studied at least once a week. Many "chaburos" also require members to prepare and give lectures on a rotating basis. This is always in addition to the Rosh Chaburah's weekly lecture.

After tumult day is over, the Rosh Chaburah submits his list of members to those responsible for arranging the seat layout in each study hall. When they have the complete list from all the Rosh Chaburahs, a map of each study hall is posted with highlighted areas designating the seats that belong to each Chaburah.

Sedorim -- study sessions/segments

The following is a schedule of the study sessions in Beth Madrash Govoha:

• 7:40 AM: Shachris (morning prayers).
• From after morning prayers till 9:00 AM (Monday and Thursday, due to longer prayers, till 9:10 AM), Halacha is studied.
• 9:00 AM - 9:30 AM: breakfast is served in the main dining room
• 9:30 AM - 1:45 PM: first study session.
• 1:45 PM - 2:00 PM: Mincha (afternoon prayers).
• 2:00 PM - 3:45 PM: lunch is served in the main dining room.
• 3:40 PM - 7:20 PM: second study session.
• 7:20 PM - 7:40 PM: Mussar seder, individual study of Jewish ethics.
• 7:45 PM - 8:45 PM: dinner is served in the main dining room.
• 8:45 PM - 10:30 PM: third and final study session, commonly called "Night Seder".
• Ma’ariv (evening prayers): because of the relation in allowed time to pray this prayer to sunset, the time for this prayer is different in the summer than in the winter.

Jewish services (Hebrew: tefillah/תפלה, plural tefilloth/תפלות) are the communal prayer recitations which form part of the observance of Judaism. ... Halakha (Hebrew: הלכה; also transliterated as Halakhah, Halacha, Halakhot and Halachah with pronunciation emphasis on the third syllable, kha), is the collective corpus of Jewish religious law, including biblical law (the 613 mitzvot) and later talmudic and rabbinic law as well as customs and traditions. ... Jewish services are the prayers recited as part of observance of Judaism. ... Mussar movement refers to an Jewish ethics educational and cultural movement (a Jewish Moralist Movement) that developed in 19th century Orthodox Eastern Europe, particularly among the Lithuanian Jews. ... Jewish services (Hebrew: tefillah/תפלה, plural tefilloth/תפלות) are the communal prayer recitations which form part of the observance of Judaism. ...

Acceptance and registration

The registration and acceptance into Beth Medrash Govoha can be divided into two steps:

1. Application
2. Test and acceptance

Application

Applications to enroll into the yeshiva are accepted twice a year, in the summer for the winter semester, and in the winter for the summer semester. There are no enrollments for the fall semester. The deadlines vary, and they are generally close to the 1st of Elul for enrollment in the winter, and the 1st of Adar for enrollment in the summer. The cost of the application is $125.00. Elul (אֱלוּל, Standard Hebrew Elul, Tiberian Hebrew ʾĔlûl: from Akkadian elūlu) is the twelfth month of the ecclesiastical year and the sixth month of the civil year on the Hebrew calendar. ... Adar (אֲדָר, Standard Hebrew Adar, Tiberian Hebrew ʾĂḏār: from Akkadian adaru) is the sixth month of the religious year and the twelfth month of the civil year on the Hebrew calendar. ...

Testing and acceptance

This is generally a four part process. Only applicants who have received a "bechina (entrance exam) card" authorizing them to advance will be able to proceed with these steps:

1. The applicant completes a registration application which asks for more detailed additional information that was not required on the original application.
2. The admissions officer, Rabbi Yaakov Pollak, holds a general interview with the applicant. With him are usually one or two other members of the faculty. The meeting will usually be short, allowing the admissions department an opportunity to evaluate the candidate's general potential for success in the institute.
3. A faculty member tests the candidate in general Talmudic knowledge. A grade is issued, on a scale of one to five, reflecting the applicant's possession of the requisite knowledge.
4. One of the four roshei yeshiva (deans) listens to a Pilpul from the applicant. This part of the exam is to test the applicant's ability to engage in specialized Talmudic reasoning called Lomdus. Here too, a grade is issued on a scale of one to five.
5. After completing the two exams, the resultant grades are forwarded to Rabbi Yaakov Pollak with whom the decision of acceptance rests. The acceptance will depend on a combination of all the factors in the admissions process. Usually applicants are notified during Chol HaMoed about the decision. If the applicant is accepted, he and his parents are then required to set up a meeting with the tuition department to discuss tuition arrangements.

Pilpul (Hebrew: פילפול, loosely meaning sharp analysis) refers to a method of studying the Talmud through intense textual analysis in attempts to either explain conceptual differences between various halakhic rulings or to reconcile any apparent contradictions presented from various readings of different texts. ... Chol HaMoed is a Hebrew phrase which means weekdays of the festival and refers to the intermediate days of one of the following Jewish Holidays: Passover, or Sukkot During Chol HaMoed the usual Yom Tov restrictions are relaxed, but not entirely eliminated. ...

Registration

After acceptance, tuition is negotiated, and the accepted student must complete steps required by the State of New Jersey of all students entering dormitories and post-secondary schools in New Jersey. These steps include obtaining health insurance (either through their parents or through the Yeshiva's student insurance plan), and obtaining required vaccinations for measles, mumps, and rubella; a second measles shot; and the meningococcal vaccine. In the signed acceptance agreement, the matriculating student is required to agree to abide by the rules of the institution. These include agreeing to what is commonly known as the freezer (see below). An additional rule requires students not to access the internet in the dormitory, and limits internet use to business-related activities for married students.

Semesters/Zmanim

Three zmanim' ("semesters") exist in a year, based on the Hebrew calendar: The Hebrew calendar (Hebrew: ) or Jewish calendar is the annual calendar used in Judaism. ...

1. Winter zman, which is from Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan through the seventh of Nisan.
2. Summer zman from Rosh Chodesh Iyar through the tenth of Av.
3. Elul zman from Rosh Chodesh Elul through the eleventh of Tishrei.

The three zmanim span two official semesters. The Fall semester runs through the Winter zman. The Spring semester includes the Summer zman and Elul zman. Rosh Chodesh (Hebrew: Head/Beginning [of the Hebrew] Month) is the name for the first day of every month in the [[Hebrew calendar]]. Although Rosh Chodesh is not considered a religious holiday, it is observed with additional [[Jewish prayer]]s, including the Psalms of Hallel (praise) in all Orthodox and... Cheshvan (חֶשְׁוָן, Standard Hebrew ḤeÅ¡van, Tiberian Hebrew ḪeÅ¡wān, ḤeÅ¡wān, short for מַרְחֶשְׁוָן, Standard Hebrew MarḥeÅ¡van, Tiberian Hebrew MarḫeÅ¡wān, MarḥeÅ¡wān: from Akkadian waraḫsamnu, literally eighth month) is the second month of the ecclesiastical year and the eighth month of... Nisan (Hebrew: נִיסָן, Standard Nisan Tiberian Nîsān ; from Akkadian , from Sumerian nisag First fruits) is the first month of the civil year and the seventh month (eighth, in leap year) of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. ... Iyar (Standard Hebrew אִייָּר Iyyar, Tiberian Hebrew אִיָּר ʾIyyār: from Akkadian ayyaru Rosette; blossom) is the eighth month of the ecclesiastical year and the second month of the civil year on the Hebrew calendar. ... AV may mean: Adult video, see Pornography AltaVista, a search engine Alterac Valley, a player versus player instance dungeon in the MMORPG World of Warcraft Alternative Vote, see Instant-runoff voting Angela Via, a singer Anguilla (FIPS 10-4 code) Anti-virus, see Anti-virus software Artificial vagina, a sex... Elul (אֱלוּל, Standard Hebrew Elul, Tiberian Hebrew ʾĔlûl: from Akkadian elÅ«lu) is the twelfth month of the ecclesiastical year and the sixth month of the civil year on the Hebrew calendar. ... Elul (אֱלוּל, Standard Hebrew Elul, Tiberian Hebrew ʾĔlûl: from Akkadian elÅ«lu) is the twelfth month of the ecclesiastical year and the sixth month of the civil year on the Hebrew calendar. ... Tishrei or Tishri (תִּשְׁרִי, תִּשְׁרֵי, Standard Hebrew Tišri, Tišre, Tiberian Hebrew Tišrî, Tišrê: from Akkadian tašrītu Beginning, from šurrû To begin...

Tumult day

A top view picture of Tumult Day

Tumult day is a distinct feature of Beth Medrash Gevoha. The first three days of every semester all the students gather outside the main building on 7th street. It is at this time that chavrusos (study partners) must be arranged. Among other things, students discuss with potential study partners what limud they would like to study, and also make sure that the study partnership has the potential to succeed, both on a personal level and on an intellectual level. Additionally, it is at this time that students are required to arrange entry into a particular "chaburah", or study group. This intense and highly competitive method is unique to Beth Medrash Gevoha. Image File history File links BMGTDay. ... Image File history File links BMGTDay. ...

"The Freezer"

"The Freezer" is a term used in Beth Medrash Govoha to signify that a student at the institute is still within the first three month of matriculation into the yeshiva. Upon acceptance into the institute, every non-married student is required to agree in writing that he will not date for a shidduch during this time. Although on the most part the rule is followed, a large percentage of the students start dating after two to two-and-a-half months. According to the rules, if one gets engaged during those three months, he will be asked to leave the yeshiva. The exception to this would be if, when signing the paper above, he indicated that he was planning to or is in the process of dating a particular woman. In that case, he is allowed to date that woman during the "freezer". Shidduch (or shiduch) (Hebrew: שידוך, pl. ...

References

1. ^ New Jersey's Colleges & Universities, accessed May 29, 2006