A kollel (Hebrew: כולל; "a gathering/collection [of scholars]") (plural: kollelim) is an institute for advanced studies of the Talmud and of rabbinic literature for Jewish adults, essentially a yeshiva which pays married men a regular monthly stipend or annual salary (and/or provides housing and meals) to study Judaism's classic texts in depth. The plural in Hebrew is kollelim. “Hebrew” redirects here. ... The Talmud (Hebrew: תַּלְמוּד) is a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history. ... Rabbinic literature, in the broadest sense, can mean the entire spectrum of Judaisms rabbinic writing/s throughout history. ... For other uses, see Jew (disambiguation). ... This article is about the Jewish male educational system. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

History

Originally, in the nineteenth century, the word was similar to British use of the word university. Yeshiva students learned privately in synagogues, study halls, and small yeshivot. The administration and fundraising for these small "colleges" was done under a single aegis, called a "kollel" Hebrew for a university, which distributed the funds.

The first "kollel" in the modern sense of the term was the Kovno Kollel, the "Kollel Perushim" founded in Kovno in 1877. It was founded by R. Yisrael Salanter, and directed by R. Isaac Blaser. The ten students were required to separate from their families, except for the Sabbath, and devote themselves to studying for the Rabbinate. There was a four year limit on one's membership in the kollel. Kovno kollel, (or Kollel Perushim of Kovno or Kollel Knesses Bais Yitzchok) was an advanced Orthodox Judaism Torah and Talmud yeshiva (advanced Jewish school) for Jewish adults, located in what is today known as Kaunas, Lithuania. ... Rabbi Yisrael ben Zev Wolf Lipkin (1810-1883) was the father of the Mussar movement in Orthodox Judaism. ...

The advocate for the modern sense of the kollel was Rabbi Aharon Kotler, the founder of Beth Medrash Govoha, one of America's largest yeshivas located in Lakewood, NJ. The community kollel movement was fostered by Torah Umesorah (The National Society for Hebrew Day Schools) (guided by Rabbi Kotler until his death in 1963) For the town in Italy, see Rabbi, Italy. ... Aharon (or Ahroyn, Aaron, Aron) Kotler (1890s - 1962) was a prominent leader of Orthodox Judaism in Lithuania, and later the United States of America. ... Beth Medrash Govoha (Hebrew: בית מדרש גבוה) is the largest Talmudical Academy in the United States. ... Lakewood is a census-designated place located in Ocean County, New Jersey. ... Torah Umesorah - National Society for Hebrew Day Schools (or Torah Umesorah תורה ומםורה) is an Orthodox Judaism organization that fosters and promotes Torah-based Jewish religious education in North America by supporting and developing a loosely affiliated network of independent private Jewish day schools, yeshivas and kollelim in every city with a... Year 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Currently, the term is applied in America to any stipend given for yeshiva study and is now a general term for the Yeshivah approach to life. Even those engaged in outreach work, teaching, or administration can be said to be in kollel as long as they are financially dependent on the Yeshivah. With the rise of kollel members spending increased time on adult education, the term is increasingly becoming a generic synonym, in popular usage, for Torah classes.

American Kollel

In the early 1970s with kollelim were functioning in Los Angeles, California, and Detroit, Michigan Other examples of successful community kollelim include kollelim in Dallas, Texas, Atlanta, Georgia, Seattle, Washington, and Phoenix, Arizona. The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ... Los Angeles and L.A. redirect here. ... “Detroit” redirects here. ... Dallas redirects here. ... Atlanta redirects here. ... Seattle redirects here. ... Nickname: Location in Maricopa County and the state of Arizona Coordinates: , Country State County Maricopa Incorporated February 25, 1881 Government  - Type Council-Manager  - Mayor Phil Gordon (D) Area  - City  515. ...

In the past 30 years about 50 Haredi Judaism North American "community kollelim" have been opened by yeshiva-trained scholars as centers for adult education and outreach to the Jewish communities in which they located themselves. The activities of these institutions have caused Jewish communal leaders to look seriously at the need for adult Jewish education and to address this need with more extensive programming, including sincere and successful efforts at reaching out to the unaffiliated Jewish community. Haredi or chareidi Judaism is the most theologically conservative form of Orthodox Judaism. ... North America North America is a continent[1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ...

A kollel is primarily an institute for advanced Talmudic and/or Halakhic study, often attached to an established advanced yeshiva in a large Orthodox community that is devoted purely to studies by advanced Talmudic scholars. 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. ... This article is about the Jewish male educational system. ... The Talmud (Hebrew: תַּלְמוּד) is a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history. ...

In contrast, a "community kollel," connotes the inclusion of a community education outreach program. Topics include everything from basic Hebrew to advanced Talmud. In addition to imparting Torah knowledge, such kollels function to impart technical skills required for self-study. For other uses, see Orthodox Judaism outreach (disambiguation). ... “Hebrew” redirects here. ... The Talmud (Hebrew: תַּלְמוּד) is a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history. ... The Torah () is the most important document in Judaism, revered as the inspired word of G-d (the vocal is never spelled), traditionally said to have been revealed to Moses. ...

Across the United States, community kollelim are a combination of classes in Talmud or Talmud study in havruta geared as outreach to the unaffiliated Jewish community.

A minute number of kollelim have been opened by those affiliated with Reform Judaism and Conservative Judaism.In the non-Orthodox Jewish community a kollel is an adult-ed program or center that has courses available on Talmud, Midrash, learning Hebrew, Jewish ethics and related topics; less emphasis is given to Talmud. Reform Judaism can refer to (1) the largest denomination of American Jews and its sibling movements in other countries, (2) a branch of Judaism in the United Kingdom, and (3) the historical predecessor of the American movement that originated in 19th-century Germany. ... This article is about Conservative (Masorti) Judaism in the United States. ... The Talmud (Hebrew: תַּלְמוּד) is a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history. ... Midrash (Hebrew: מדרש; plural midrashim) is a Hebrew word referring to a method of exegesis of a Biblical text. ... “Hebrew” redirects here. ... 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. ...

Most Kollels have a scholar as a Rosh Kollel who is the head of the Kollel. He decides on the subject matter studied by the Kollel. In many cases he spends a lot of time fund-raising to support the Kollel.

Many Orthodox Jewish yeshiva students study in kollel for a year or two after they get married, whether or not they will pursue a rabbinic career. Modest stipends or the salaries of their wives and the increased wealth of many families have made kollel study commonplace for yeshiva graduates. The largest U.S. kollel is at Rabbi Kotler's Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, New Jersey, with over 1500 kollel scholars attached to the yeshiva which is 4700 strong in total. In the Israeli Haredi Jewish community thousands of men study full-time for many years in hundreds of kollelim. Haredi or chareidi Judaism is the most theologically conservative form of Orthodox Judaism. ...

Kollel has been known at times to cause a great deal of friction with the secular Israeli public at large, and garnering criticism from the Modern Orthodox, non-Orthodox and secular Jewish community. The Haredi community defends this practice with the argument that Judaism must cultivate Torah scholarship in the same way that the secular academic world does, no matter how high the costs may be financially in the short run, in the long run the Jewish people will benefit from the large number of learned laymen, scholars, and rabbis. Modern Orthodox Judaism (or Modern Orthodox or Modern Orthodoxy) is a movement within Orthodox Judaism that attempts to synthesize traditional observance and values with the secular, modern world. ...

Yeshiva students who learn in Kollel often go on to become rabbis, poskim ("decisors" [of Jewish law]), or teachers of Talmud and Judaism. 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. ... For the town in Italy, see Rabbi, Italy. ... Posek פוסק (Hebrew; pl. ...

See also

• Yeshiva
• Rosh yeshiva
• Kovno kollel
• Beth midrash
• Mashgiach ruchani

This article is about the Jewish male educational system. ... Rosh yeshiva (Hebrew: ראש ישיבה) (pl. ... Kovno kollel, (or Kollel Perushim of Kovno or Kollel Knesses Bais Yitzchok) was an advanced Orthodox Judaism Torah and Talmud yeshiva (advanced Jewish school) for Jewish adults, located in what is today known as Kaunas, Lithuania. ... 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. ... 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. ...

External links

• The Ohel Ya'akov Community Kollel (Vancouver, BC)
• The largest Torah network in the world
• Community Kollels in North America
• Atlanta Scholars Kollel
• DATA Kollel
• TORCH Kollel Houston, Texas
• Phoenix Community Kollel
• Jewish Study Network, Palo Alto, California
• Jewish Learning in the Diaspora - List of places to learn
• Seattle Kollel
• Religious Zionist Kollels in the USA
• A liberal Jewish Kollel in Ontario, Canada
• Ohel Ya'akov Community Kollel of Greater Vancouver
• A Reform Jewish Kollel for liberal Jews
• Conservative Judaism's online adult-ed program
• Torah.org Orthodox Jewish internet education - Learn what they learn in the Kollels
• The Conservative Kollel

Sources

• The World of the Yeshiva: An Intimate Portrait of Orthodox Jewry William B. Helmreich, KTAV Publishing House; ISBN 0-88125-641-2; Augmented edition (February 2000)
• The way we were before our destruction: Lives of Jewish students from Vilna who perished during the Holocaust Yulian I. Rafes, VIA Press ; YIVO Institute for Jewish Research; ISBN 1-885563-06-X; (July 1, 1998)