Mir Yeshiva (Brooklyn) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mirrer Yeshiva Central Institute ישיבת מיר
The yeshiva in June 2020
Location
Brooklyn , New York United States
Information
Type	Private elementary, middle school, high school, beis medrash, and kollel
Founder	Rabbi Avraham Kalmanowitz

The Mirrer Yeshiva Central Institute, also known as the Mir Yeshiva, is a special school in Brooklyn, New York. It is a Haredi yeshiva, which means it's a place where Jewish students, mostly boys and men, study the Torah and other religious texts.

One of the main teachers here is Rabbi Elya Brudny. He is also part of an important group of Jewish leaders called the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah.

A Long Journey: The Mir Yeshiva's History

The original Mir Yeshiva started a very long time ago in 1815. It was in a town called Mir, which is now part of Belarus. The school stayed there for many years.

Moving During World Wars

When World War I began in 1914, the yeshiva had to move. It went to Poltava, a city now in Ukraine. Rabbi Eliezer Yehuda Finkel was the leader at that time. His father-in-law, Rabbi Elya Boruch Kamai, was a famous leader before him.

In 1921, the yeshiva moved back to Mir. It stayed there until 1939. That's when Nazi Germany invaded Poland, starting World War II and the terrible time known as the Holocaust. Many students from other countries left. But the yeshiva kept going, even though it was smaller.

As the Nazi armies got closer, the yeshiva leaders decided to move everyone. They went to Keidan in Lithuania.

Escape to the Far East

The Nazi armies kept moving east. So, the entire yeshiva community had to escape even further. They traveled across Siberia by train to the Far East. In 1941, they finally reopened in Kobe, Japan.

Other smaller yeshivas also escaped with the Mir. Even though it was hard, the Mir Yeshiva helped them all. They shared money, found places to live, and made sure everyone had food.

Soon after, the yeshiva moved again. This time, it went to Shanghai, China, which was controlled by Japan. They stayed there until World War II ended.

A Japanese diplomat named Chiune Sugihara was a hero during this time. He helped thousands of Jewish people get visas to travel to Japan. This allowed them to escape the war. Many books have been written about his brave actions.

Rebuilding After the War

After the war, most Jewish refugees from Shanghai ghetto went to Mandatory Palestine (which is now Israel) or the United States. Among them were the survivors from the Mir Yeshiva.

They decided to start the yeshiva again in two places. One campus was in Jerusalem, Israel. The other, the one we are talking about, was in Brooklyn, New York.

The Mir Yeshiva in Brooklyn

The Brooklyn yeshiva first settled in the New Lots area of East New York. Later, it moved to its current home on Ocean Parkway in Flatbush.

Early Leaders in Brooklyn

Rabbi Avraham Kalmanowitz was the first main leader, or rosh yeshiva, in Brooklyn. He led the school for almost 20 years. After he passed away in 1964, his son, Rabbi Shraga Moshe Kalmanowitz, and his son-in-law, Rabbi Shmuel Berenbaum, took over.

Rabbi Shraga Moshe passed away in 1998, and Rabbi Shmuel in 2008. Other important rabbis who taught there included Rabbi Dovid Kviat and Rabbi Shmuel Brudny.

For many years, Rabbi Moshe Handelsman was the executive director. He helped manage the yeshiva's daily operations. He passed away in 2022 at 92 years old.

Current Developments

The Mirrer Yeshiva Central Institute is officially recognized by the College Board. This means it's a proper educational institution.

Currently, the yeshiva is building new parts. They are adding a new dormitory for students to live in. They are also building a new beis midrash, which is a large study hall.

Important Teachers and Leaders

Rabbi Shmuel Berenbaum was a very important Rosh Yeshiva for a long time. He passed away in 2008. He was the son-in-law of Rabbi Avraham Kalmanowitz, who started the Brooklyn yeshiva.

The Mayor of New York City at the time, Michael Bloomberg, praised Rabbi Berenbaum. He said that Rabbi Berenbaum helped make the yeshiva "one of the largest centers for Torah study in the world." Another Jewish leader, Steven Bayme, said the yeshiva helped keep alive "a world that was otherwise lost."

Today's Leadership

Today, the yeshiva is led by several rabbis:

• Rabbi Avraham Yaakov Nelkenbaum, who is Rabbi Avraham Kalmanowitz's son-in-law.
• Rabbi Asher Eliyahu Kalmanowitz, who is Rabbi Shraga Moshe Kalmanowitz's son.
• Rabbi Hershel Zolty, who is Rabbi Shraga Moshe's son-in-law.
• Rabbi Asher Dov Berenbaum, who is Rabbi Shmuel Berenbaum's son.

The mashgiach, who helps guide the students' spiritual growth, is Rabbi Ezriel Erlanger.

The yeshiva has different levels of study:

• An elementary school for younger students.
• A high school for older students.
• A beis midrash for advanced Torah study.
• A kollel for married men who dedicate their time to full-time Torah study.

The kollel is led by Rabbi Eliezer Ginsburg. The high school is led by a son-in-law of Rabbi Shraga Moshe Kalmanowitz.

Well-Known Former Students