While Auschwitz-Birkenau were not the first concentration/death camps we visited on this trip, and while Majdanek was certainly the most intact, there was a strong personal connection to Auschwitz-Birkenau felt throughout the group as many of us have many relatives who's lives were destroyed here.
Hoshana Rabba is the last day of Sukkot and of the din process. For that reason we have a special tefilat shacharit and tens of thousands (in Yerushalayim alone) have the custom to learn through the night and daven vatikin at the Kotel. Yeshivat Hakotel hosts boys from all yeshivot for an all night learning program with our rebbeim and rebbeim from other yeshivot. The program ends with a kumzits on the roof and vatikin tefilat shacharit!
The Yeshiva's underlying goal is to cultivate yirat shamayim as part of a life of Avodat Hashem. The yeshiva accomplishes this by developing Talmidim’s appreciation of Talmud Torah and its connection to Am Yisrael, Eretz Yisrael.
Yeshivat HaKotel was founded more than 40 years ago. The underlying goal of the Yeshiva is to provide its students with a fundamental and intimate connection to Torat Yisrael as it impacts on Am Yisrael in Eretz Yisrael.
There is no better place to accomplish this three-fold goal than at Yeshivat HaKotel in the Old City of Jerusalem. The Old City enhances both the emotional and intellectual components of Torah learning. Only someone who has personally experienced this can fully comprehend this added dimension.
Yeshivat Hakotel's unique program of integration offers boys relationships with Israeli boys and overseas rebbeim. After moving to an Israeli shiur, the overseas rebbe maintains a strong bond with each student through afternoon and night shiurim as well as personal conversation. Beyond a talmid's rebbe, students also benefit from both a relationship with older boys (with whom each has at least one chavruta) and support staff (madrichim and shoelim u’meishivim).
In addition, the yeshiva staff includes a psychologist who initiates meetings with each talmid and is available for those seeking additional help.
