In the far reaches of upstate New York lies a hidden gem of a Yeshiva. The Yeshiva of Rochester, a premier Yeshiva for serious Bnei Torah, is renowned for its tight-knit atmosphere, genuine, straight-forward attitude, down-to-earth approach to life, and devoted Rebbeim,
The Yeshiva was founded in 1974 as the first branch of Chofetz Chaim. It consists of a Mesivta, Bais Medrash and Kollel. Today, each talmid has the opportunity to become one of the many talmidim of a true Torah giant, our Rosh HaYeshiva Rabbi Menachem Davidowitz shlita. Rabbi Davidowitz is a Talmid Muvhak of the venerated Rosh HaYeshiva, Rav Henoch Leibowitz ZT”L. Rabbi Davidowitz is well known in the Torah world for his deep, sophisticated and lomdish shiurim. Our advanced twelfth graders are given the opportunity to join Rabbi Davidowitz’s first Bais Medrash shiur. It is in this relatively small, close setting that our young scholars have the ability to form a lifelong, Rebbi- Talmid relationship with our Rosh HaYeshiva.
Founded in 1974 as the first external affiliate branch of Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim, the Yeshiva today consists of a thriving Mesivta, Bais Medrash and Kollel. The Rosh HaYeshiva and co-founder, Rabbi Menachem Davidowitz shlita is a talmid muvhak of the venerated Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Henoch Leibowitz zt”l, and is well known for his deep, sophisticated, and lomdish shiurim. Our advanced students have the ability to join Rabbi Davidowitz’s Bais Medrash shiurim. In this unique, relatively small setting, our budding Talmidei Chachamim have the precious opportunity to form a lifelong Rebbi-Talmid relationship with a Gadol BaTorah.
The Mesivta emphasizes three factors that enable a talmid’s success: a positive, like-minded chevra; a healthy and balanced daily schedule; and a secure, structured atmosphere of accountability.
A Tight-Knit Chevra
The Mesivta’s core of talmidimcomes from its high-quality yeshivaketana, Derech HaTorah, which opened in 2004 to serve the sons of its alumni and rebbeim. The hanhala hand-picks dorm students who are on the same wavelength as the local boys in order to create a cohesive group and a sense of camaraderie within the yeshiva walls.
A Balanced Daily Schedule
The yeshiva encourages balance in every area of life. In addition to a balanced approach to rules and attendance, the yeshiva’s schedule has been uniquely calibrated to meet all the needs of a serious ben Torah in today’s day and age. Offering a harmonious blend of rigorous academics and refreshing extracurricular programming, it is designed to “challenge our talmidim and, at the same time, recognize that they are young people who need breaks and fun in order to truly be successful bnei Torah,” says Rabbi Polatoff. “This careful balance has resulted in healthy bnei Torah who are happy and proud of their success in learning.”
After morning shiur and Limudei Kodesh, boys can release some energy with an hour of sports between lunch and Mincha. The general studies program runs Monday through Thursday, from 3-6:30, and meets the New York State Common Core regent standard. The boys are expected to take their secular classes seriously and do well on the regents, and talmidim are required to maintain good grades in all classes.
After a half-hour night seder, boys can choose to attend an extracurricular learning program. Throughout the week, this program rotates among the houses of various rebbeim, where boys participate in a Q&A session, a mussarshiur, and a parshahshiur, while enjoying tasty refreshments. This program enables talmidim to balance the intensity of sedarimandshiur with a lighter learning environment.
In addition to the variety built into each day, weekend programming is designed to recharge students in an enjoyable setting. The Friday Afternoon Sports Program, Shabbos Morning Gala Kiddush, Sunday Afternoon Shopping Trip and Sunday Night Swim help students recover from a challenging workweek. In addition, a monthly trip adds another dimension of bonding and friendship to their yeshiva experience.
A Secure, Structured Atmosphere
The culture in the yeshiva is one of structure and accountability. Every student’s attendance, academics, and general growth are carefully tracked and reinforced. For example, a tiered system of attendance lets talmidim know exactly how many minutes late they can come to how many classes before facing penalties. “Students know where they are supposed to be and there are definite consequences for infractions,” says Rabbi Avrohom Berenstein, longtime 9th-grade rebbi. Similarly, there is a clear sequence of consequences for breaches of minor rules, more serious rules, and major infractions. This detailed system sets clear expectations and ensures that talmidim and hanhala are on the same page. “Every student knows thehanahala is working with them to maximize their growth,” says Rabbi Berenstein.
The benefits of such a system are threefold. First, it gives talmidim a sense of responsibility and discipline, which prepares them for adult life. A clear system that incorporates a bit of breathing room ensures that even as talmidim stretch, success is very much within reach. Second, boys enjoy a sense of security and stability from knowing what to expect and what is expected of them. Third, in addition to setting clear requirements for the talmidim, this detailed tracking allows the hanhala to know exactly where every student is holding, so that no talmid can fall through the cracks.
Empowering Each Student
The small size of the yeshiva allows each student to benefit from the personal attention of the hanhala and rebbeim. “Almost all bnei Torah can only reach their potential through a true rebbi-talmid relationship. This relationship will develop in a meaningful way in a smaller setting,” says Rabbi Polatoff. Rabbi Berenstein offers a rebbi’s perspective: “Each rebbi develops a unique relationship with each of his talmidim. This builds trust so they are comfortable and feel they can relate to the rebbi. When we, the rebbeim, notice that a student is unhappy, we inquire into what’s bothering him and make a plan to resolve the issue.” Since the hanhala so clearly understand the nature of each talmid, they can push each talmid to find the true greatness within himself.
The small class size enables rebbeimand teachers to make sure every student has what he needs to work to his potential and enjoy a sense of fulfillment from his studies. This fosters an environment of growth and achievement. Advanced students benefit from small enrichment groups, where they can delve more deeply into the meforshim on a sugya.
Ingraining a Love of Learning
“We set high expectations of our students,” says Rabbi Berenstein. “They know that, and strive and very frequently exceed our expectations. Success breeds success; they quickly realize they can accomplish, and, when they do, they become motivated to accomplish even more.”
Sophisticated and precise shiurim train the boys to think and deepen their understanding of Torah. Rabbi Menachem Davidowitz, the Rosh Yeshiva, gives the Beis Medrash shiur, which any advanced 12th grader can join. In this intimate setting, talmidim have the opportunity to form a real rebbi-talmid relationship with an adam gadol who transmits the mesorah from the previous dor. Rabbi Davidowitz is known for his deep, lomdish shiurim. One Beis Medrash bachur elaborates, “I really enjoy the shiur’s unique style in which the Rosh Yeshiva doesn’t just tell us question and answers, but rather, the shiur is set up so that Rabbi Davidowitz has us think of the questions and answers on the sugya.”
In addition to this fulfilment of “aseh lecha rav,” the boys can also achieve “knei lecha chaver” by connecting to more immediate role models: the Beis Medrash bachurim. The Mesivta and Beis Medrash are housed in the same building, and each high school boy is paired with a Mashpia from the Beis Medrash program. Throughout the year, the Mesivta and Beis Medrash bachurim jointly participate in various extracurricular learning programs, including pre-Shacharis Iyun Tefillah, pre-Yom Tov Mishnayos, and mussar learning. These programs provide various rewards for completion, including trips and celebratory siyumim. Over the course of the year, the high school boys and Beis Medrash bachurim become very close, giving the high school boys a constant model of the products of the yeshiva and demonstrating to what they can aspire.
Rochester’s Lasting Impact
Debby Bauer, mother of current and past talmidim, appreciates the yeshiva because it “puts the right emphasis on the important issue. She adds, “I think the effects of the yeshiva will be with the boys long after they have left the school.”
Alumni from many years ago corroborate this sentiment. Aron Ezra Stein, who graduated in 1997, explains how Yeshiva of Rochester fuels his work for Hatzolah. “There are a lot of times where it’s 2:00 in the morning, or I’m in the middle of a meeting, but there’s someone down the block who needs my help and I’ve got to go. I got that feeling of achrayus from Rabbi Davidowitz, to be able to push away all the external things going on and be able to focus on what I have to do, what’s right, and go do it.”
Singer Yaakov Shwekey, who graduated in 1994, also points out the foundation of chessed he received at Yeshiva of Rochester. “My wife and I have a special children’s center which we run on a daily basis for hundreds of families with special needs’ children. The yeshiva taught me that doing chessed is something that’s more important than anything.”
Rochester talmidim gain a solid foundation in learning that shapes their limud HaTorah for the rest of their lives. Nachum Rackoff, who has been out of high school for 40 years, reflects that “Rabbi Davidowitz’s shiurim helped me gain a real clarity about how Gemara and Rishonim and Acharonim work.” Eli Gabay, who graduated a mere two decades ago, adds, “To feel a comfort to walk into any beis medrash, open up a sefer, and feel comfortable to sit and to learn—that’s a gift that Reb Menachem gives to his talmidim.”
In short, the city of Rochester’s Torah population may be small, but Rochester looms disproportionately large where it counts. It empowers generations of talmidim with a passion for and competence in limud haTorah, a core of middos tovos, and a mussar approach of reflection and constant growth. According to alumnus Aron Ezra Stein, “The amount of real Torah, the amount of real chessed, real yiras Shamayim, that’s coming from Rochester—it’s popping off the map.”
In conclusion, the Yeshiva of Rochester is a great option for anyone who is currently looking into Yeshivos. If you are a serious bochur who is looking to go out of town, the Yeshiva of Rochester is the place to be. We have an exemplary group of young Bnei Torah (many of which are second generation talmidim) and a tight knit, genuine, down to earth, happy, Torah atmosphere. We encourage discerning parents and students to contact us and arrange to come up for a visit and check out the Yeshiva for themselves!
