Mission Statement
Yeshivat Hadar is animated by three central goals:
- To foster a community of students who engage in intensive Torah study, prayer and action.
- To offer a passionate vision of traditional Jewish life as a spiritual path.
- To empower students to build and contribute to vibrant Jewish communities.
What are the core components of the full-time programs?
Text Study
The bulk of the day is spent learning with others in the Beit Midrash, where tudents explore an array of classical and modern Jewish texts, ranging from Tanakh and Talmud to modern theology and halakhic responsa. Both traditional and academic methods are employed in translating this learning into contemporary religious meaning and obligation.
Hesed
One day a week, full-time students participate in hesed work, an expression of Yeshivat Hadar's commitment to demonstrating that the Torah learned in our Beit Midrash must culminate in being present for others in need. We have a significant relationship with the patients at Jewish Home Lifecare, and students are expected to spend one afternoon a week in this environment. Process groups with trained facilitators enhance and support this experience.
Prayer
Communal prayer is a central component of the Yeshivat Hadar experience, alongside study and action. Tefilah at Yeshivat Hadar employs the traditional liturgy and men and women share the responsibilities of communal prayer. Students will have the opportunity to deepen their connection to prayer, as well as explore the opportunities and struggles related to a prayerful life.
Which program is right for me?
Full Time Students receiving a living stipend: build the core of the student body. A stipended student demonstrates a full commitment to and investment in the values and mission of Mechon Hadar. You are interested in coming to the Yeshiva to expand and deepen this commitment and to learn how to bring the skills and knowledge that you learn back to your home community. To this end you will create a project that you will implement after you leave the Yeshiva. You are invited and expected to participate in all classes, programs, tefillot, and shabbatot.
Full-time Students receiving tuition remission: build the core of the student body. A tuition remission student is genuinely interested in all that Mechon Hadar stands for and is looking to participate fully in the life of the Yeshiva and to build the Yeshiva community. You are invited and expected to participate in all Yeshiva activities including all classes, programs, tefillot, and shabbatot.
Part-time Students taking 1 or more classes: enrich the Yeshivat Hadar community. A part-time student is invested in learning Torah and commits to taking one or more classes at the Yeshiva. Most of the Yeshivat Hadar programs and Shabbatot are open to you and we encourage your participation in Yeshiva life outside of classes. Part-time students pay tuition for the classes they take; discounts and financial aid are available.
What are the expectations of students in immersion programs?
Yeshivat Hadar is committed to the integration of Torah and mitzvot. Students in the full-time program create religious community by participating in all of the yeshiva's tefillot (prayer services), shiurim (classes), and social justice projects as well as by being shomrei mitzvot (observant of mitzvot). The yeshiva accepts people from all backgrounds and patterns of observance, honoring each student's religious journey and making no assumptions about religious commitment prior to one’s time in the Yeshiva. While the yeshiva hopes its students will exemplify the vision of observant egalitarian life modeled here, we have no formal expectations or requirements regarding one's ultimate religious journey.
Students who receive stipends commit to bringing lessons from their time at Yeshivat Hadar to their hometown communities. Project details will depend on individual student interests and strengths, as well as the communities to which they return. Past projects have included teaching, organizing a learning program, leading services and building prayer communities. Students will be given support and guidance throughout the creation and implementation of their projects.
Part of the way we create the yeshiva community is by taking responsibility for our mekom Torah. There are a range of tasks that need to happen on a daily and weekly basis to keep the yeshiva running smoothly and students are integral to this endeavor.
The Yeshiva is periodically in session over Shabbat, sometimes on the Upper West Side and sometimes in satellite communities. The summer typically features 3 such Shabbatot; during the year, the one or two Shabbatot a month are in session. The year also features involvement in various conferences and special events run by Mechon Hadar, some of which take place on weekends. Other Shabbatot are free, and students can take advantage of Kehilat Hadar's services (www.kehilathadar.org), occasional optional programming at the Yeshiva, or any of the rich array of Shabbat communities in New York City.
Year-round fellows have added responsibilities related to engaging the broader community in the life of the yeshiva. Weekly team meetings of faculty and the student body assess and develop our evening programming an set targets for attracting people to our daily minyan and learning sessions. Training in leadership and organizing skills is provided to support students in meeting these responsibilities, which offer an exciting opportunity to get to know Mechon Hadar’s broader work from the inside.
Program Details
- The 2013 Summer Program will run Monday through Friday, June 9th-August 3rd, 2013. The length of the day will vary. Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays will begin at 7:30am and conclude at 9:00pm (12:30pm on Fridays, leaving time for Shabbat preparations). Wednesdays run from 8:15am until 5pm. Sundays will include some evening sessions. Click here to see tentative 2013 summer schedule.
- The Full-Year Program will run Mondays through Fridays, from September 2013-May 2014. The length of the day will vary. Morning start times will vary from 7:45-8:45 am. Mondays and Tuesdays will conclude at 9:00pm, Wednesdays will conclude at 5:00 pm. Thursdays will conclude at 7:00pm. Classes on Friday conclude at 12:30pm. Click here for the current Full-Year Program schedule.
What is the skill level required to learn at Yeshivat Hadar?
Certain classes will be divided by textual fluency and level of skill. A wide range of students are appropriate for the program. Students must have basic facility with reading vocalized passages from the Tanakh and the Mishnah. The Yeshiva also includes students with extensive background in Jewish learning, including those who have spent several years learning in a yeshiva environment in the past, whether in Israel or elsewhere. Part-time students learning in our evening programs need no Hebrew background to participate fully.
What do students do about food and housing?
We are very happy to provide vegetarian breakfast and lunch most days of the week. Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate all special food requests (i.e., lactose intolerance, allergies). There will also be space for you to store food.
Students are expected to find their own housing for the duration of the program. Mechon Hadar will supply fellows with a list of housing resources.
All students who apply for immersion programs are eligible for tuition remission and will be considered for a stipend to help cover lodging and other expenses.
More Questions?
We are happy to answer any questions. Please contact Rabbi Jason Rubenstein, Director of Recruitment, at rubenstein@mechonhadar.org.
