Beth Medrash Govoha (,
pronounced: ''Beis Medrash Gavo'ha''. lit: "High House of Learning"; also known as Lakewood Yeshiva or BMG) is a
Haredi Jewish Litvishe ''
yeshiva
A yeshiva (; ; pl. , or ) is a traditional Jewish educational institution focused on the study of Rabbinic literature, primarily the Talmud and halacha (Jewish law), while Torah and Jewish philosophy are studied in parallel. The stu ...
'' in
Lakewood Township, New Jersey. It was founded by Rabbi
Aharon Kotler in 1943 and is the second-largest yeshiva in the world, after
Mir Yeshiva in Jerusalem. As of 2025, it had over 9,000 students, between bochurim ( unmarried members) and married with
Kollel
A kollel (also kolel) (, , , , a "gathering" or "collection" f scholars is an institute for full-time, advanced Torah study, study of the Talmud and rabbinic literature. Like a yeshiva, a kollel features Shiur (Torah), shiurim (lectures) and ...
status.
[Fiscal data](_blank)
state.nj.us The principal
Rosh yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva or Rosh Hayeshiva (, plural, pl. , '; Anglicized pl. ''rosh yeshivas'') is the title given to the dean of a yeshiva, a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and th ...
since 1982 is Rabbi
Malkiel Kotler.
Talmud
The Talmud (; ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of Haskalah#Effects, modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cen ...
and ''
halakha
''Halakha'' ( ; , ), also Romanization of Hebrew, transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Judaism, Jewish religious laws that are derived from the Torah, Written and Oral Torah. ''Halakha'' is ...
'' studies in the institution are carried in the form of over 200 small groups, ''Chaburos'', which consist of several students mentored by a veteran, each pursuing its own specific curriculum with an emphasis on individual learning.
[Besser, Yisroel. "Child of the Yeshiva". '']Mishpacha
''Mishpacha'' () - Jewish Family Weekly is a Haredi weekly magazine package produced by The Mishpacha Group in both English and Hebrew.
History
''Mishpacha'' is one of the four major English-language newspapers and magazines serving the Hared ...
'', November 14, 2012, p. 64.
History

Beth Medrash Govoha is a successor institution to
Yeshivas Etz Chaim, which was located in
Slutzk, in what is today
Belarus
Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...
. That institution was led by Rabbi
Isser Zalman Meltzer and by Rabbi Aaron Kotler, until it was forcibly closed by the
Soviet Revolution of 1917, which banned all forms of Jewish studies. Etz Chaim was reestablished in Kletzk, under then Polish rule by Rabbi Aaron Kotler, where it thrived until World War II and the destruction of much of European Jewry. Rabbi Kotler escaped the Nazis in 1941 and came to the United States where he opened BMG in 1943.
Description
BMG's four campuses are located on in Lakewood, with numerous academic facilities, libraries and residence halls.
The newest building was completed in the summer of 2015, on the land where Bais Eliyahu (the "trailers") used to be. It was first used on
Rosh Hashanah
Rosh Hashanah (, , ) is the New Year in Judaism. The Hebrew Bible, biblical name for this holiday is Yom Teruah (, , ). It is the first of the High Holy Days (, , 'Days of Awe"), as specified by Leviticus 23:23–25, that occur in the late summe ...
5776, seating over one thousand people for the services. The building was sponsored by Ralph Herzka and Meir Levine.
The yeshiva is licensed by the
New Jersey Commission on Higher Education and
accredited
Accreditation is the independent, third-party evaluation of a conformity assessment body (such as certification body, inspection body or laboratory) against recognised standards, conveying formal demonstration of its impartiality and competence to ...
by the
Association of Advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic Schools.
It is authorized to grant
bachelor's
A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ( ...
and
master's degree
A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...
s in
Talmud
The Talmud (; ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of Haskalah#Effects, modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cen ...
ics, as well as two
post-master's diplomas in Talmudics. What students seek in Beth Medrash Govoha is to at first attain the skills necessary to properly understand and analyze the
Talmud
The Talmud (; ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of Haskalah#Effects, modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cen ...
and to be able to do independent research on a scholarly level, and then use these skills to become accomplished Talmudic scholars.
Beth Medrash Govoha is a
postgraduate institution and the general age of entry for new students is about 22. A high level of analytic skill and comprehension in understanding the Talmud is required, to the extent that a student is able to study a subject from the starting point all the way to the most complex areas of that subject on his own. The yeshiva does not have a remedial program for weak or unprepared students, and reaching the level required to be a successful student at the yeshiva takes several years of intense, full-time study. As such, in general, only students who have already studied in an undergraduate level yeshiva geared for students aged 18–22, will be accepted.
Curriculum
The yeshiva studies are based on classical
Torah study
Torah study is the study of the Torah, Hebrew Bible, Talmud, responsa, rabbinic literature, and similar works, all of which are Judaism's Sifrei kodesh, religious texts. According to Rabbinic Judaism, the study is done for the purpose of the ''mi ...
traditions using the
Talmud
The Talmud (; ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of Haskalah#Effects, modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cen ...
,
Rishonim
''Rishonim'' (; ; sing. , ''Rishon'') were the leading rabbis and ''posek, poskim'' who lived approximately during the 11th to 15th centuries, in the era before the writing of the ''Shulchan Aruch'' (, "Set Table", a common printed code of Jewis ...
,
Shulchan Aruch
The ''Shulhan Arukh'' ( ),, often called "the Code of Jewish Law", is the most widely consulted of the various legal codes in Rabbinic Judaism. It was authored in the city of Safed in what is now Israel by Joseph Karo in 1563 and published in ...
,
Responsa
''Responsa'' (plural of Latin , 'answer') comprise a body of written decisions and rulings given by legal scholars in response to questions addressed to them. In the modern era, the term is used to describe decisions and rulings made by scholars i ...
, and
Rabbinic literature
Rabbinic literature, in its broadest sense, is the entire corpus of works authored by rabbis throughout Jewish history. The term typically refers to literature from the Talmudic era (70–640 CE), as opposed to medieval and modern rabbinic ...
as texts and sources.
Subjects
Although all students study the
Talmud
The Talmud (; ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of Haskalah#Effects, modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cen ...
regardless of whether they just joined the yeshiva or have already been studying for well over a decade, when students first arrive they study the mesechta (Talmudic tractate) that the yeshiva has officially selected to study at that time. This mesechta will always be one of eight that deal with areas of civil law.
Some students will continue learning these subjects for many years, developing great expertise in these areas, while others will study other areas of the
Talmud
The Talmud (; ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of Haskalah#Effects, modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cen ...
. Some students focus primarily on the practical application of the talmudic laws based on the Halachic conclusions of the
Shulchan Aruch
The ''Shulhan Arukh'' ( ),, often called "the Code of Jewish Law", is the most widely consulted of the various legal codes in Rabbinic Judaism. It was authored in the city of Safed in what is now Israel by Joseph Karo in 1563 and published in ...
. Because of the large number of students in the
Yeshiva
A yeshiva (; ; pl. , or ) is a traditional Jewish educational institution focused on the study of Rabbinic literature, primarily the Talmud and halacha (Jewish law), while Torah and Jewish philosophy are studied in parallel. The stu ...
there are groups studying virtually every subject in the
Talmud
The Talmud (; ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of Haskalah#Effects, modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cen ...
. Beth Medrash Govoha is unique among Yeshivas in that a student can study any subject in the Talmud or
Halachah that he prefers.
Schedule
The daily schedule consists of three ' (study sessions) – a morning session, an afternoon session, and an evening session, in which a total of 10 hours of each day is spent studying. For each session there is a ' (subject) which is a chapter of the ' that that group is learning. The morning session is the most important of the sessions and is the subject that students will devote their after-hours time to and are most likely to write papers on; it is also the subject of the lectures.
Chaburah system

All learning is done within a system of ''chaburos'' (study groups) in which 15 to 200 scholars are seated together to study the same subject at the same pace with their individual ''
chavrusa
''Chavrusa'', also spelled ''chavruta'' or ''ḥavruta'' (, lit. "fellowship"; : , ''ḥāḇrāwāṯā''), is a traditional rabbinic approach to Talmudic study in which a small group of students (usually 2–5) analyze, discuss, and debate a ...
'' (study partner). Every ' is headed by a (head/leader of the study group). The is typically somebody that is more advanced than the members of the and his primary function is to assist the ' in their studies. Additionally some assist in pairing the members of their ' with an appropriate ' (study partner). Most roshei chaburah will study the material on their own time so that they are proficient and thoroughly knowledgeable on the subject. Some ' (plural of ') also give a weekly discourse on the topic that was studied that week. Many of the ' require members themselves to prepare and give discourses of their own on a rotating basis. Other responsibilities of the include submitting the number of seats needed for the members of his ', and to decide the topic of study for the semester.
Programs, testing and acceptance
Semesters/''Zmanim''
Three ' (semesters) exist in a year, based on the
Hebrew calendar
The Hebrew calendar (), also called the Jewish calendar, is a lunisolar calendar used today for Jewish religious observance and as an official calendar of Israel. It determines the dates of Jewish holidays and other rituals, such as '' yahrze ...
:
#Winter ', which is from
Rosh Chodesh
In Judaism, Rosh Chodesh or Rosh Hodesh (; trans. ''Beginning of the Month''; lit. ''Head of the Month'') is a minor holiday observed at the beginning of every month in the Hebrew calendar, marked by the birth of a new moon. Rosh Chodesh is obs ...
Cheshvan
Marcheshvan (Hebrew language, Hebrew: , Hebrew language#Modern Hebrew, Standard , Tiberian vocalization, Tiberian ; from Akkadian language, Akkadian , literally, 'eighth month'), generally shortened to Cheshvan (, Hebrew language#Modern Hebrew, S ...
through the seventh of
Nisan
Nisan (or Nissan; from ) in the Babylonian and Hebrew calendars is the month of the barley ripening and first month of spring. The name of the month is an Akkadian language borrowing, although it ultimately originates in Sumerian ''nisag' ...
.
#Summer ' from ''Rosh Chodesh''
Iyar
Iyar (Hebrew language, Hebrew: or , Hebrew language#Modern Hebrew, Standard ''ʾĪyyar'' Tiberian vocalization, Tiberian ''ʾĪyyār''; from "Rosette (design), rosette; blossom") is the eighth month of the civil year (which starts on 1 Tishrei ...
through the tenth of
Av.
#
Elul
Elul (Hebrew language, Hebrew: , Hebrew language#Modern Hebrew, Standard , Tiberian vocalization, Tiberian ) is the twelfth month of the civil year and the sixth month of the Jewish religious year, religious year in the Hebrew calendar. It is a m ...
' from ''Rosh Chodesh''
Elul
Elul (Hebrew language, Hebrew: , Hebrew language#Modern Hebrew, Standard , Tiberian vocalization, Tiberian ) is the twelfth month of the civil year and the sixth month of the Jewish religious year, religious year in the Hebrew calendar. It is a m ...
through the eleventh of
Tishrei
Tishrei () or Tishri (; ''tīšrē'' or ''tīšrī''; from Akkadian ''tašrītu'' "beginning", from ''šurrû'' "to begin") is the first month of the civil year (which starts on 1 Tishrei) and the seventh month of the ecclesiastical year (wh ...
.
The three span two official semesters. The Fall semester runs through the Winter zman. The Spring semester includes the Summer zman and Elul zman.
Application
Applications to enroll into the yeshiva are accepted twice a year, before the summer and winter semesters. There are no enrollments for the fall semester. The deadlines vary, and they are generally close to the 1st of
Elul
Elul (Hebrew language, Hebrew: , Hebrew language#Modern Hebrew, Standard , Tiberian vocalization, Tiberian ) is the twelfth month of the civil year and the sixth month of the Jewish religious year, religious year in the Hebrew calendar. It is a m ...
for the winter enrollment, and the 1st of
Adar
Adar (Hebrew: , ; from Akkadian ''adaru'') is the sixth month of the civil year and the twelfth month of the religious year on the Hebrew calendar, roughly corresponding to the month of March in the Gregorian calendar. It is a month of 29 days. ...
for summer enrollment.
Testing and acceptance
This is generally a four-part process. Only applicants who have received a " (entrance exam) card" authorizing them to advance will be able to proceed with these steps:
# The applicant completes a secondary registration application which asks for additional, detailed information that was not required on the original application.
#The admissions officer holds a general interview with the applicant. With him are usually one or two other members of the faculty. The meeting will usually be short, allowing the admissions department an opportunity to evaluate the candidate's general potential for success in the institute.
#A faculty member tests the candidate in general Talmudic knowledge. A grade is issued, on a scale of one to five, reflecting the applicant's possession of the requisite knowledge.
#One of the four roshei yeshiva (deans) listens to a
Pilpul, or talmudic discourse, from the applicant. This part of the exam is to test the applicant's ability to engage in specialized Talmudic reasoning called . Here too, a grade is issued on a scale of one to five.
# After completing the two exams acceptance will depend on a combination of all the factors in the admissions process. Usually applicants are notified during
Chol HaMoed
''Chol HaMoed'' (), a Hebrew phrase meaning "mundane of the festival", refers to the intermediate days of Passover and Sukkot. As the name implies, these days mix features of ''chol'' (mundane) and ''moed'' (festival).
On Passover, ''Chol HaMoe ...
about the decision. If the applicant is accepted, he and his parents are then required to set up a meeting with the tuition department to discuss tuition arrangements. However it is the policy of the yeshiva that no eligible student be denied the opportunity to study Torah because of an inability to pay tuition.
Alumni Program
,
[See also the "shivtiyk-dot-com" web site: https://www.shivtiyk.com/] the program, is a highly acclaimed weekly Sunday program for laymen. The was created by Rav Yaakov Tescher.
Registration
After acceptance, tuition is negotiated. The stated policy of the yeshiva is that no eligible student is denied the opportunity to study Torah because of their inability to pay tuition. The accepted student must also complete steps required by the State of New Jersey of all students entering dormitories and post-secondary schools in New Jersey. Additionally, in a signed acceptance agreement, the matriculating student agrees to abide by the rules of the institution.
"The freezer" is a three-month period in which new students may not date while acclimating to the yeshiva.
''Tumult'' day

By long-standing institutional tradition, each semester begins with the majority of students exploring the many study groups (called "Chaburos") available in each field of study and choosing the one that they find of greatest interest. They then pair up with a study partner, who will join them in their study group. As the first days back on campus for returning students, and the first ever day for new students, the atmosphere can seem tumultuous, with much milling about, good spirit and cheer, hence that day has become known as "Tumult day," during which little study takes place and instead much socializing along with the more serious work of choosing both study group and study partner.
Leadership
Rabbi
Aharon Kotler served as the academic and spiritual leader of the institution, from 1943 until his passing in 1962. He was succeeded by Rabbi
Shneur Kotler, then 44 years old, who died in 1982. Today, Rabbi
Malkiel Kotler, Rabbi Shneur's son, and Rabbis
Yerucham Olshin,
Dovid Schustal, and
Yisroel Neuman, serve in that role. Rabbi Aaron Kotler, a grandson of Rabbi Aharon Kotler, was President and CEO of the institution until he retired towards the end of 2021.
Rabbi
Nosson Meir Wachtfogel served as dean of students (''
mashgiach ruchani
A mashgiach ruchani (; pl., ''mashgichim ruchani'im''), sometimes mashgiach for short, is a spiritual supervisor or guide. They are usually a rabbi who has an official position within a yeshiva and is responsible for the non-academic areas of yesh ...
)'' from the mid 1950s until his death in 1998, he was succeeded by Rabbi
Matisyohu Salomon until his death in 2024 and Rabbi
Abba Brudny. Other
mashgichim in the yeshiva have included Rabbi
Yehuda Jacobs, Rabbi Aharon Schustal, Rabbi Eliezer Stefansky, and Rabbi Yaakov Pollack.
Notable alumni
*
Yitzchak Abadi (born 1933), rabbi, posek, rosh kollel
*
Philip Berg (1927–2013), rabbi who was dean of the worldwide
Kabbalah Centre
The Kabbalah Centre International is a non-profit organizationworldwide
located in Los Angeles, California that provides courses on the Zohar and Kabbalistic teachings online as well as through its regional and city-based centers and study group ...
organization
*
Elya Brudny (born 1948), Haredi rabbi, Mir Yeshiva of Brooklyn
*
Shlomo Carlebach (1925–1994), musician
Shlomo Carlebach
The Carlebach Shul. Accessed January 28, 2025. "Shlomo Carlebach studied at Yeshiva Torah Vodaas and Yeshiva Chaim Berlin in Brooklyn, New York, as well as Beth Medrash Gevoha in Lakewood, New Jersey."
* José Faur (1934–2020), Rabbi
* Shraga Feivish Hager (1948–2024), Kosover Rebbe
* Moshe Hirsch, head of a Neturei Karta group in Israel
* Moshe Hillel Hirsch
Moshe Hillel Hirsch (; born Milton Hirsch October 26, 1936) is the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Slabodka in Bnei Brak, Israel. He is a native of the United States who studied at Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood under the Talmudic tutelage of Rabbi Ah ...
, rosh yeshiva, Slabodka yeshiva, Bnai Brak, Israel
* Yaakov Yitzchak Horowitz, Rabbi
* Yehudah Jacobs (–2020), rabbi and mashgiach ruchani
A mashgiach ruchani (; pl., ''mashgichim ruchani'im''), sometimes mashgiach for short, is a spiritual supervisor or guide. They are usually a rabbi who has an official position within a yeshiva and is responsible for the non-academic areas of yesh ...
in Beth Medrash Govoha
* Shmuel Kamenetsky rosh yeshiva, Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia
* Yosef Yitzchok Lerner, rabbinical ordinator
* Uri Mayerfeld, rosh yeshiva, Yeshivas Ner Yisroel
Ner Israel Rabbinical College (ישיבת נר ישראל), also known as NIRC and Ner Yisroel, is a Haredi yeshiva (Jewish educational institution) in Pikesville, Maryland. It was founded in 1933 by Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchok Ruderman, a discipl ...
, Toronto
* Shlomo Miller, rosh kollel, Kollel Avreichim Institute for Advanced Talmud Study, Toronto
* Yaakov Pearlman, Chief Rabbi of Ireland
* Yechiel Perr
Yechiel Yitzchok Perr (1935– May 3, 2024) was an American rabbi. He was the founder and rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Derech Ayson ( Yeshiva of Far Rockaway) in Far Rockaway, New York.
Biography
Yechiel Yitzchak Perr was born and raised in South ...
, rosh yeshiva, Yeshiva of Far Rockaway
* Aharon Pfeuffer, Rosh Yeshiva in London and Johannesburg, known for his works on ''Kashrut
(also or , ) is a set of Food and drink prohibitions, dietary laws dealing with the foods that Jewish people are permitted to eat and how those foods must be prepared according to halakha, Jewish law. Food that may be consumed is deemed ko ...
''
* Aaron Rakeffet-Rothkoff, Rabbi
* Ezra Schochet, rosh yeshiva, Yeshiva Ohr Elchonon Chabad/West Coast Talmudical Seminary, Los Angeles
* Dov Schwartzman, rosh yeshiva, Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia and Yeshivas Bais Hatalmud, Jerusalem
* Eli Baruch Shulman, Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS)
* Meir Stern, rabbi, Yeshiva Gedola of Passaic
* Elya Svei
Elya Svei (; March 19, 1924 (''Taanis Esther 5684'') – March 26, 2009 (''Rosh Chodesh Nisan 5769'')) was an American Haredi Judaism, Haredi Jewish rabbi and co-''rosh yeshiva'' (with Shmuel Kamenetsky) of the Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia ...
, rosh yeshiva, Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia
* Yisroel Taplin, Talmudic scholar and author
* Hillel Zaks, Rosh Yeshiva Chevron and Knesset Hagedola, Israel
See also
* Lakewood East, an institution in Israel that is loosely affiliated with BMG
* Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia
References
{{coord, 40.09562, -74.22207, type:landmark_globe:earth_region:US-NJ, display=title
Educational institutions established in 1943
Haredi Judaism in New Jersey
Haredi yeshivas
Kollelim
Men's universities and colleges in the United States
Orthodox yeshivas in New Jersey
Universities and colleges in Ocean County, New Jersey
Lakewood Township, New Jersey
1943 establishments in New Jersey