The Hesder Yeshiva Ayelet Hashachar
The city of Eilat, the southern vacation city of Israel, is Toronto’s sister-city.
Eilat is characterized by a population that is mostly unobservant, and the
economic situation of many of the residents is complex.
This is the reason that we decided to establish the Hesder Yeshiva (the only
one in the city) specifically in Eilat – in order to support the population and
constitute a beacon of Torah and Chessed in the city.
The Hesder yeshiva is home to approximately 120 students learning on-site,
as well as another 60 students in active military service. The yeshiva has
nurtured hundreds of graduates who live in Eilat and throughout the country,
going on to build their careers in all varieties of professions, such as rabbis,
army officers, engineers, doctors, lawyers, educators and more.
The yeshiva is the spiritual engine in the city, and is the nucleus around which
a religious community has developed, made up of over 100 families from all
over the country to strengthen Jewish life and Chesed in the city of Eilat.
The Yeshiva operates dozens of activities in the city related to Kiruv and
Chessed. Kiruv projects for college students, an evening Beit Midrash for local
residents interested in coming closer to Judaism, activities in kindergartens
and elementary schools, Bar Mitzva prep classes, guidance for couples prior
to their marriage, guidance for families and more.
The Yeshiva’s Chessed activities are extensive and include a soup kitchen for
hundreds of local residents, a family center that provides assistance to
couples and families experiencing difficulties at home, a center for at-risk
youth and many other activities.
We are currently in the midst of our construction project to build a new
campus for the Yeshiva, and we believe that it will help us reach more people
and have a much more powerful impact in the city.
