Yeshivas Ohr Hachaim is a

Haredi Haredi Judaism (, ) is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that is characterized by its strict interpretation of religious sources and its accepted (Jewish law) and traditions, in opposition to more accommodating values and practices. Its members are ...

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 ...

located in Kew Garden Hills,

Queens Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. The yeshiva also has a

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 ...

, and operates in conjunction with its high school Mesivta Yesodei Yeshurun which is located next door to Yeshivas Ohr Hachaim. The current

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 ...

is Rabbi

Doniel Lander Rabbi Doniel Lander is the chancellor of Touro University and the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Ohr HaChaim, Mesivta Yesodei Yeshurun in Queens, NY and Mesivta Yesodei Hatorah in Naugatuck, CT. Rabbi Lander's primary role in Yeshivas Ohr Hachaim c ...

and the Rosh Kollel is Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovici. Both are former students of Rabbi

Joseph B. Soloveitchik Joseph Ber Soloveitchik ( ''Yosef Dov ha-Levi Soloveychik''; February 27, 1903 – April 9, 1993) was a major American Orthodox rabbi, Talmudist, and modern Jewish philosopher. He was a scion of the Lithuanian Jewish Soloveitchik rabbinic ...

Yeshiva University Yeshiva University is a Private university, private Modern Orthodox Judaism, Orthodox Jewish university with four campuses in New York City.

. The yeshiva building is prominently located on Main Street in Kew Gardens Hills. The building is noted for its exterior, which is primarily made of

Jerusalem stone Jerusalem stone (Hebrew: ; ) is a name applied to various types of pale limestone, dolomite and dolomitic limestone, common in and around Jerusalem that have been used in building since ancient times. One of these limestones, '' meleke'', has ...

(so named for being both common and legally required for construction in

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

) imported from Israel specifically for the building. Rabbi Mordechai Krauss was one of the Roshei Yeshiva until his death in 2016. He was a student of Rabbi Binyomin Paler and Rabbi Berel Soloveitchik.

History

Yeshivas Ohr Hachaim was founded in 1983. Its first location was at Congregation Bnei Abraham. As the yeshiva continued to grow and attract more students, it needed to move to a bigger location. Two years after it was founded, in 1985, the yeshiva moved to a new location. A synagogue was rented at 69-69 Main Street that served as a Bais Medrash. But soon after, the burgeoning enrollment of the yeshiva called for yet another move. In the 1990s a series of attached houses from the corner house of 71st Avenue and Main Street down the block were purchased and construction on the new building began.

The New Building

In the fall of 1991 the new building began its construction. Five houses adjacent to the existing location were acquired and demolished. Bobby Jacobs and Aryeh Rabinowitz designed the building and supervised the construction. For the next four years, the yeshiva found a temporary home at Congregation Ohel Simcha. Finally, in October 1996 the new facilities were ready to open. That building remains in use now.

High schools

Founded under the umbrella of Ohr HaChaim in 1993, Mesivta Yesodei Yeshurun is a four-year high school whose curriculum is largely Yeshiva-preparatory. Senior year programming dovetails with the yeshiva's resulting in significant overlap of scheduling and facility use. The twelfth grade Yeshiva program primarily takes place in the Ohr HaChaim building while the school's home is in a purpose-built four-story building adjacent to the Yeshiva building, on 71st Ave. The building includes dormitories for students from Jewish communities from the Greater New York City metro area, as well from around the United States and Canada. In addition, there is a full-court

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

gym in the lower basement, a common feature in vertically built New York City schools. The Yeshiva currently has one branch high school, Mesivta Yesodei HaTorah in

Naugatuck Naugatuck ( ) is a consolidated borough and town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The town, part of the Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, had a population of 31,519 as of the 2020 Census. The town spans both sides of the Naug ...

, Connecticut, under the leadership of Rabbi Aryeh Reiss. The school also has a 55 acre development community and a Kollel on the grounds. Additionally, there was a second High School branch in Elkins Park, PA on the Jewish Federation Campus, but it has since closed. There was also a branch in Monsey, NY from 2004 till 2014 before the campus was sold and the school shut down.

References

{{Coord, 40, 43, 41.07, N, 73, 49, 22.09, W, region:US-NY_type:edu, display=title Kew Gardens Hills, Queens Orthodox yeshivas in New York City Touro University System