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Yeshivas Ner Yisroel

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Coordinates: 39°23′18″N 76°45′17″W / 39.38833°N 76.75472°W / 39.38833; -76.75472
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This article is about Ner Yisroel Baltimore. For Ner Yisroel Toronto, see Yeshivas Ner Yisroel of Toronto.

Ner Israel Rabbinical College
MottoBuilding Greatness One Talmid at a Time
Established1933; 93 years ago (1933)[1]
FounderYaakov Yitzchok Ruderman[2]
Religious affiliation
Orthodox Judaism[3]
ChairmanAharon Feldman
PresidentBoruch Neuberger
PrincipalBeryl Weisbord
Location
Pikesville
,
Maryland
,
United States

39°23′18″N 76°45′17″W / 39.38833°N 76.75472°W / 39.38833; -76.75472
CampusRural, 100 acres (40 ha)
Websitenirc.edu
Map

Ner Israel Rabbinical College (Hebrew: ישיבת נר ישראל), also known as NIRC and Ner Yisroel, is a Haredi Jewish yeshiva (Jewish educational institution) in Pikesville, Maryland. It was founded in 1933[4][5] by Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchok Ruderman, a disciple of Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel (a.k.a. the Alter of Slabodka), dean of the Slabodka yeshiva in Lithuania. Rabbi Aharon Feldman, a disciple of Rabbi Ruderman and a member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of America, became its head in 2001.

The yeshiva is an all-male Lithuanian (Litvish)-style Talmudic academy and is politically affiliated with Agudath Israel of America.[6][7][8] The yeshiva is composed of three departments: The Mechina for high school students (Mesivta Bochurim), the yeshiva for post high school students (Beis Medrash Bochurim), and the Kollel for married students (yungerleit—literally translated as "young men"). The graduates of Ner Yisroel are known for their dedication to Torah study and communal leadership.[9]

In 2000, The New York Times described Ner Yisroel as being "unusual in that it has always allowed students access to secular, professional education."[10] This takes place off-premises, as university-accredited night-courses, with the participation of some students.[11]

The yeshiva's alumni have been estimated as 50% rabbis and religious-school teachers, and 50% as professionals: bankers, accountants, physicians, attorneys, psychologists, etc.[10]

History and past leadership

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Yaakov Yitzchak Ruderman founded the yeshiva in 1933 with six students. It was based in a local shul.[4] The yeshiva was named after Rabbi Yisrael Lipkin Salanter,[12] the founder of the mussar movement.

Dovid Kronglass, of the Mirrer Yeshiva in Europe (and during World War II in Shanghai) was the yeshiva's first mashgiach ruchani until his death on December 16, 1972.[13] Besides his role as Mashgiach, he also served as a Maggid Shiur and was the Posek of the Yeshiva.[14]

Herman Naftali Neuberger, a son-in-law of Sheftel Kramer, brother-in-law of Ruderman, and an alumnus of the Mirrer Yeshiva in Europe, and of Ner Israel itself, was president of Ner Israel from 1940 until his death in 2005.[15][16] Neuberger joined the Yeshiva as a student when he arrived from his native Bavaria in 1938.[17]

His son Sheftel Neuberger was full-time assistant 'menahel' from May 1987, the menahel (president) of the yeshiva from 2005, when he succeeded his father, until his death on February 10, 2021.[18][19] Prior to 2005, Sheftel Neuberger was a Maggid Shiur in the yeshiva for many years, ending that position before Passover 1987 to become full-time assistant 'menahel'.[20]

Shmuel Yaakov Weinberg was on the Ner Yisroel faculty for nearly 50 years. He served as a Maggid Shiur from 1945 to 1965, as well as dean of the Kollel from 1953 to 1965. From 1971 until 1987, he was an assistant to the Rosh Yeshiva and head of the Kollel. From Ruderman's death in 1987 until his own death on July 1, 1999,[21] Weinberg served as Rosh Yeshiva.[22] Yaakov Moshe Kulefsky was the Rosh Yeshiva from Weinberg's death in 1999 until his death on November 30, 2000.[23] Other rabbis who served on the faculty included: Shimon Schwab, later rabbi of the German-Jewish Frankfurt Kehillah / community in Washington Heights N.Y.; Rabbi Simcha Zissel Broide of the Chevron Yeshiva in Jerusalem; Ephraim Eisenberg, the son-in-law of Mordechai Gifter, and Zvi Dov Slanger, a disciple of Rav Shach, who was a Maggid Shiur in the high school for many years until 1996 when he founded and became Rosh Yeshiva of the Bais Medrash & Mesivta Of Baltimore.[24]

The Mechina was founded in 1957 and went through seven principals until Yosef Tendler became the principal of the Mechina in 1964, and remained in that position until his death on February 8, 2012.[25]

Accreditation

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Ner Israel is a Maryland state-accredited college through the Association of Advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic Schools – Accreditation Commission (AARTS), and has agreements with Johns Hopkins University,[26] Towson University, Loyola College in Maryland, University of Baltimore, and University of Maryland, Baltimore County allowing undergraduate students to take night courses at these colleges and universities in a variety of academic fields.[27] The agreement also allows the students to receive academic credits for their religious studies. Ner Yisrael also has a pre-med program in association with Stevenson University of Owings Mills.[28].

Curriculum

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A student studying inside the Bais Medrash

Kollel Avodas Levi

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Ezra Neuberger, son of Herman became Rosh Kollel/Dean of the Kollel/Graduate school in his father's lifetime.[10][29]

Degrees and certificates

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Ner Yisroel's Machon program, which began in 1962, trains religious educators for Jewish communities and schools and students earn a Torah Umesorah recognized certification.[30]

Student body

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Persian students

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In the 1970s, due to the political turmoil following the Iranian Revolution and the outbreak of the Iran-Iraq war, life became difficult for Iranian Jews. Rabbi Herman Neuberger was instrumental in bringing over 1,000 young Persian men to the United States, most of whom studied in Ner Yisroel. Ner Yisroel still maintains a special minyan on Shabbos for Persian students. There are large communities of Orthodox Persian Jews in Baltimore, Los Angeles, and New York that are a direct result of Rabbi Neuberger's efforts.[31]

South American Students

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There are many South American students in the yeshiva. This is primarily due to Camp Or Haner, which is a camp for South Americans that is located in Ner Yisroel.[32] Many of the campers remain as students in the yeshiva. The camp was founded by Rabbi Moshe Fuller, who began himself as a South American student of the yeshiva. Fuller died in 2008.[33]

Notable alumni

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References

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  1. ^ Eytan Kobre (July 11, 2012). "He Planted Slabodka in Baltimore". mishpacha.com. Archived from the original on May 30, 2017. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
  2. ^ "Rav Yaakov Yitzchok Halevi Ruderman zt"l, On His 22nd Yahrtzeit, Today, 14 Tammuz". matzav.com. July 6, 2009.
  3. ^ (Agudath Israel of America)
  4. ^ a b John Fritze (October 24, 2005). "Adviser, leader of rabbinical college". The Baltimore Sun.
  5. ^ "Ner Israel Rabbinical College". www.micua.org. Archived from the original on February 1, 2018. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
  6. ^ "Moetzes meeting at Agudath Israel". September 6, 2017.
  7. ^ "Agudath Israel convention to focus on improvement and excellence". matzav.com. October 31, 2016. Retrieved April 8, 2026.
  8. ^ Rabbi Avi Shafran. "A Shabbos at Ner Yisroel". matzav.com.
  9. ^ "Baltimore Jewish Life | 82nd Annual Ner Israel Dinner A Great Success (Amazing Videos & Photo Essay)". Baltimore Jewish Life. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
  10. ^ a b c Gustav Niebuhr (June 11, 2000). "Yeshivas of Traditional Orthodoxy Flourishing". The New York Times.
  11. ^ Not all students take university courses while attending the yeshiva.
  12. ^ "ספר היובל - הפרדס - אלברג, שמחה, 1910-1995 (page 404 of 663)". hebrewbooks.org. Retrieved April 8, 2026.
  13. ^ "Rabbi Dovid Kronglas". kevarim.com. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
  14. ^ ralph. "Rav Dovid Kronglass zt"l, Upon His Yahrtzeit, Today". Matzav.com. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
  15. ^ "Adviser, leader of rabbinical college". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved February 4, 2018.
  16. ^ "for over half a century." "Herman N. Neuberger, 87, rabbinical scholar". The Washington Times. October 26, 2005.
  17. ^ "Ner Israel College at 60: A guiding light in the journey to Orthodoxy". f tribunedigital-baltimoresun. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
  18. ^ "BDE: HaRav Sheftel Neuberger, Z'TL, Nasi Of Yeshivas Ner Yisroel". Yeshiva World. February 10, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
  19. ^ Joffre, Tzvi (February 11, 2021). "Rabbi Sheftel Neuberger, president of Ner Yisrael, passes away". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
  20. ^ "BD"E: Harav Sheftel Meir Neuberger Zt"l". Hamodia. February 10, 2021. Archived from the original on February 27, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
  21. ^ "Rabbi Shmuel Yaakov Weinberg". kevarim.com. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
  22. ^ "Ner Israel dean Yaakov S. Weinberg, 76, dies". tribunedigital-baltimoresun. Retrieved February 4, 2018.
  23. ^ "Rabbi Yaakov Moshe Kulefsky". kevarim.com. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
  24. ^ "Baltimore's Torah Community Continues its Upward Trajectory with Ground Breaking at Bais Hamedrash and Mesivta of Baltimore (Photos & Video)". baltimorejewishlife.com. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
  25. ^ "Shiurim By Rabbi Yosef Tendler". torahdownloads.com. Retrieved November 5, 2023.
  26. ^ "Carey Business School to Collaborate with Ner Israel | Johns Hopkins Carey Business School". carey.jhu.edu. Archived from the original on February 3, 2018. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
  27. ^ "What is the Ner Yisroel college program".
  28. ^ Zumer, Bryna (January 27, 2019). "Stevenson University To Create Pre-Med Program For Yeshiva Ner Yisroel". Fox Baltimore. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
  29. ^ "Ner Israel Rabbinical College - Graduate Programs". Contact Rabbi Ezra Neuberger
  30. ^ "First Group of Teachers Graduate from Baltimore Rabbinical College". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
  31. ^ "Hanging on to Heritage". jewishtimes.com. May 7, 2015. Archived from the original on February 2, 2018. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  32. ^ "STAR-K Experts Speak to Latin Americans and Baltimoreans in Summer Educational Programs | STAR-K Kosher Certification". www.star-k.org. August 23, 2011. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  33. ^ "Petira Of R' Moshe Fuller Z"L". Yeshiva World News. March 23, 2008. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  34. ^ "Mr. Moishe Bane". Orthodox Union Presents Torah New York. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  35. ^ "WATCH: Rabbi Abba Cohen, Agudah Board Members, Honored at Ner Israel Rabbinical College 83rd Annual Dinner. | The Agudah". agudathisrael.org. December 18, 2016. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
  36. ^ Besser, Yisroel (August 10, 2021). "The People Come First". Mishpacha Magazine. Retrieved October 17, 2025.
  37. ^ "Rabbi Sam Kassin". SSCUSA Org. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  38. ^ "Me, I'm Orthodox - I learned at Yeshiva" • MK Lipman talks". Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
  39. ^ "Meet the Twerskis – Congregation Beth Jehudah".
  40. ^ "Faculty | Talmudic University". talmudicu.edu. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
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