About Yeshivat Torat HaChaim
Yeshivat Torat HaChaim is an educational network founded by Rabbi Shmuel Tal in 1996. Originally located in the Gush Katif settlement of Neve Dekalim, the yeshiva was relocated to Yad Binyamin, situated between Jerusalem and Ashdod, following the 2005 disengagement from Gaza.
The yeshiva embraces inclusivity, welcoming students from various Orthodox backgrounds, including both Haredi and Religious Zionist communities. Rabbi Tal emphasizes the importance of active participation in all facets of Israeli society and encourages students to engage in military service through frameworks like the Nahal Haredi or to undertake standard National Service.
As of the 2016–2017 academic year, the Torat HaChaim network comprises approximately 1,600 students and offers a diverse range of educational programs, including:
- A Talmud Torah
- An elementary girls’ school
- Yeshiva ketana
- Ulpanah for girls
- Yeshiva gedola
- Kollel
- Yeshiva for baalei teshuva
- Midrasha for baalot teshuva
- Midrasha for women after Sherut Leumi
- Yeshiva for Haredi men
- A film and theater school (with separate days for men and women)
- A school for counseling and therapeutic training (with separate days for men and women)
- Tal Chaim publication institute
- Off-campus outreach programs
- Off-campus teacher training program
- A community of families in Nazareth Ilit
Future plans for the network include establishing a music academy for men and women, as well as high schools tailored for the children of baalei teshuva.