Economy shutters popular post-HS program for boys in Israel, at least for now

By Mayer Fertig

Issue of July 17, 2009 / 25 Tammuz 5769

Yeshiva Ner Yaakov, a popular post-high school yeshiva in Israel for boys from modern Orthodox homes, will not reopen in September, The Jewish Star has learned.

Rabbi Yehoshua Liff, the Rosh Yeshiva who founded Ner Yaakov in 1988 called the decision “painful.”

“After holding major discussions about the reorganization of the yeshiva in order to remain open, and under severe economic pressure, we made a decision to not open up for this coming semester,” Rabbi Liff said Monday evening.

Ner Yaakov’s kollel program would continue to function during the 2009-2010 term, and “we are keeping options open” to possibly — hopefully — resume the post-high school program in 2010-2011.

The yeshiva is located in Jerusalem’s Geulah neighborhood.

“The decision is a painful one for all those who appreciate all that Ner Yaakov has done in the past two decades in the field of Jewish education,” Rabbi Liff said.

Ner Yaakov is “the kind of yeshiva the community can’t afford to lose,” said Rabbi Brian Thau of West Hempstead. His son, Yori, 19, was planning to go back for a second year.

“The yeshiva transformed my son, and Yori is not unique,” he said. “He went from Rambam to HANC. HANC was able to convince him to go to Eretz Yisrael for the year and the rest, as they say, is history. They [Ner Yaakov] just inspired him.”

He was “very fortunate” that his son had rebbeim (teachers) who “took the time to reach out to him.” Ner Yaakov is “one of the only yeshivas that take kids other

yeshivas won’t handle and turns them into find Bnei Torah,” Rabbi Thau said, adding that he was “distraught” to learn that the yeshiva would not reopen in September.

“I’ve been in chinuch for many years and I’ve never seen a school like this,” Rabbi Thau said.

Ner Yaakov will help students were supposed to attend the yeshiva in September to make other arrangements, Rabbi Liff said. All tuitions that have been paid will be refunded. It would be up to individual faculty members to choose whether to remain affiliated with the yeshiva during what he hopes will be a temporary hiatus, Rabbi Liff said. Some faculy members, he expects, will leave.

For each of the last ten years Ner Yaakov has begun the new term with 70-80 students, on average. There were 60 young men at the beginning of last year but for the upcoming semester just 18 students were registered, said Rabbi Liff.