Many of us moved to Israel in the hope that we would find amazing religious yeshiva high schools – like the ones we had “back home” – and we were disappointed that Israel was not New Jersey! We wrung our hands with despair, but very few of us did anything about it. Except for a few brave Olim, who decided that they had come to Israel with a dream of building the land, so they would build the schools they wanted to send their children.
It’s extremely difficult to start a new school in Israel, so Rabbi Akiva Homnick and Rabbi Yehoshua Edelstein took over an existing school in 2023 and turned it around to create Yeshivat Chayei Olam. The school, located in Old Beit Shemesh and formerly known as Kol Yehuda, is today almost unrecognizable. They have invested resources in modernizing the old building, and they have invested themselves in building a new culture of learning.
Taking Life Seriously
The Menahel, Rav Yehoshua Edelstein, explains: “We understand that boys are busy growing and developing their identities between the ages of 14 and 18, so we want them to feel that we see them and we listen to them. We have created a culture that is comfortable and nurturing, but also serious about learning. We expect our students to learn approximately 35 hours of Limudei Kodesh each week, and core curriculum subjects for 18 hours each week.
“We want our boys to learn well and take life seriously, but we also expect them to have fun. We have an indoor basketball court and we are developing facilities for them to play music and other sports. My dream is to add creative spaces to the school, to encourage boys to express their talents in the visual arts, so that they can fulfill every aspect of their potential.”
The Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Akiva Homnick, who has over 30 years of experience as a Rosh Yeshiva, maggid shiur and educator, is also the composer of “Chamol Al Ma’asecha” (from the Yamim Noraim tefillot), “Ilan Ilan” (for Tu Bishvat) and many other popular tunes, so of course music is a feature of Chayei Olam, with frequent Kumzitz evenings. He says: “Our goal is to educate Bnei Torah imbued with Yirat Shamayim, fully equipped to cope with the challenges of daily life, in a joyful, inspiring and mind-broadening atmosphere. The Bagruyot that we currently offer include 5 points in Gemara, 3 points in Tanakh, 4/5 points in Math, 5 points in English, plus Ivrit, Science, History and Civics.”
Glowing Reports from Parents
Parents of the current Shiur Aleph students are confident that they have made an excellent choice. Rabbi Eli Stefansky, who has sent two boys to Chayei Olam, says: “I’m very impressed with the level of learning and the dedication of their Rabbeim. There’s a special connection between the boys and the Rabbeim.”
Mr. Yisroel Yoskowitz, a parent and the editor of Mishpacha Magazine, says: “Over the years, in my various roles, I’ve had the opportunity to encounter numerous yeshivas. Some were good, others better. But I’ve never come across an educational level as high as the one at Yeshivat Chayei Olam. The results speak for themselves: My son comes home every evening and shares fascinating experiences from his Gemara or English classes. I’m impressed by how engaging the teaching is. Both Limudei Kodesh and general studies have become extraordinary experiences that captivate the yeshiva’s students. This, combined with the overall atmosphere at Chayei Olam, which feels like a home and a family, is truly remarkable.”
The school has a balanced mixture of boys from English-speaking and Hebrew-speaking families, and many of the teachers are also from Anglo homes and educated in Israel’s top Yeshivas. “We like to think that we combine the best of both worlds”, says Rav Edelstein, “because we want our students to grow up with respect for “Torah Im Derech Eretz” and to take all their learning seriously.”
Yeshivat Chayei Olam in Beit Shemesh is part of the Netzach Educational Network. They have an Open House event on Monday November 25. Find out more and register at https://chayei-olam.co.il