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Today, ''yeshiva gedolah'' ("greater/higher yeshiva") refers to the post-high school level while ''yeshiva ketana'' (minor/lesser yeshiva") refers to the elementary grades in the United States or high school-level in Israel. In the United States, high school-level yeshiva is also called ''mesivta'' or ''metivta'', the Aramaic translation for ''yeshiva''. A yeshiva for male married students is known as a Kollel ("gathering"). Traditionally, females did not learn Torah in a yeshiva setting, but in recent years Modern Orthodox institutions have provided females with a Yeshiva-system education. HISTORY See also Torah Study Pre-1800s Traditionally, every town Rabbi had the right to maintain a number of full-time or part-time pupils in the town's study hall (''beis midrash'', usually adjacent to the Synagogue ). Their cost of living was covered by community taxation. After a number of years, these young people would either take up a vacant rabbinical position elsewhere (after obtaining Semicha , rabbinical ordination) or join the workforce. The Mishna (tractate Megilla) mentions the law that a town can only be called a "city" if it supports ten men (''batlanim'') to make up the required quorum for communal prayers. Likewise, every rabbinical court ('' Beth Din '') was attended by a number of pupils up to three times the size of the court ( Mishna , tractate Sanhedrin). These might be indications of the historicity of the classical yeshiva. As indicated by the Talmud , adults generally took off two months a year (Ellul and Adar, the months preceding the harvest) to pursue full-time Torah Study . Chaim Volozhin Organised Torah study was revolutionised by Rabbi Chaim Volozhin , a disciple of the Vilna Gaon (an influential 18th Century leader of Orthodox Judaism ). In his view, the traditional arrangement did not cater for those who were looking for more intensive study. With the support of his teacher, ''Reb Chaim'' gathered a large number of interested students and started a ''yeshiva'' in the (now names of the Lithuanian and Polish towns''). Many prominent contemporary ''yeshivot'' in the USA and Israel are continuations of these institutions and often bear the same name. TYPES OF YESHIVOT There are four types of ''yeshivoth'': #Yeshiva Ketana ("small ''yeshiva''") - Also called ''Cheder'', for elementary school students. Many ''Yeshivot Ketana'' in Israel and some in the diaspora do not have a secular course of studies and all students learn Judaic Torah studies full time. #Yeshiva High School - Also called ''Mesivta'' or ''Mechina'', combines the intensive Jewish religious education with a secular high school education. The dual curriculum was pioneered by the Manhattan Talmudical Academy of Yeshiva University (now known as Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy ) in 1916 . #Beth medrash - For high school graduates, and is attended from one year to many years, dependent on the career plans and affiliation of the student. # Kollel - Yeshiva for married adults. The kollel idea, though having its intellectual roots traced to the Torah, is a relatively modern innovation of 19th century Europe. Often, a Kollel will be in the same location as the yeshiva. One should distinguish between American and Israeli Yeshivot. The American Yeshiva student typically attends Yeshiva Ketana locally. Afterwords he sometimes attends a local, but more often dorms at, a Yeshiva High School. This is often followed by 2-4 years in a Beth Medrash and then 2-5 years in Israel, after which he returns to America to attend an American Yeshiva, marry, and then often learn in Kollel. PROMINENT YESHIVOT The largest yeshivot currently include: In the United States
There are a handful of other prestigious Yeshivas and dozens of smaller ones, including those affiliated with various Hasidic groups. In Israel
The popular yeshivos located in Israel that cater to the international English Speaking community include:
There are also many Hesder yeshivot, which combine study with military service; various Hasidic yeshivot; and dozens of others. ACADEMIC YEAR The year is divided into three periods called ''zmanim'' ("times" or "semesters"). Elul zman starts from the beginning of the Hebrew month of Elul and extends until the end of Yom Kippur . This is the shortest (approx. six weeks), but most intense semester as it comes before the high holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur . Winter zman starts after Sukkot ("Tabernacles") and lasts until just before Passover , a duration of six months (seven in a Jewish leap year). Summer semester starts after Passover and lasts until either the middle of the month of Tammuz or the beginning of the Jewish month of Av , a duration of about three months. TYPICAL SCHEDULE The following is a typical daily schedule for Beis Medrash students:
This schedule is generally maintained Sunday through Thursday with an extra long night seder on Thursday nights, sometimes lasting beyond 1:00 am. On Fridays there is usually at least one seder in the morning and the afternoons are free. Saturdays have a special Sabbath schedule which includes some sedarim but usually no shiur. METHOD OF STUDY Studying is usually done together with a study-partner called a ''chavrusa'' ( Aramaic : "friend"), or in a ''shiur'' ("lecture"). Talmud study See Also: Talmud In the typical ''yeshiva'', the main emphasis is on Talmud study and analysis. Generally, two parallel Talmud streams are covered during a ''zman'' (trimester). The former is study in-depth (''be-iyun'') with an emphasis on analytical skills and close reference to the classical commentators; the latter emphasises general knowledge (''bekiyuth'') of the Talmud; see The Talmud In Modern-day Judaism . Works generally studied to clarify the Talmudic text are the commentary by Rashi and the analyses of the Tosafists . Various other '' Meforshim '' (commentators) are used as well. Jewish law See Also: Halakha Generally, a period is devoted to the study of practical '' Halakha '' (Jewish law). The text most commonly studied is the '' Mishnah Berurah '' written by Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan . The ''Mishnah Berurah'' is a compilation of ''halakhic'' opinions rendered after the time of the writing of the '' Shulkhan Arukh ''. Ethics The preeminent ethical text studied in ''yeshivot'' is the '' Mesillat Yesharim '' ("Path the Just") by Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto . Other works studied include:
Chasidic Yeshivot will study Chasidic thought, such as Tanya , and Likutei Torah. Weekly Torah portion See Also: Parsha The Weekly Torah Portion is usually read together with Rashi 's commentary and the Targum Onkelos . SEE ALSO
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