Knesses Chizkiyahu
| Yeshivas Knesses Chizkiyahu | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Location | |
|
Rekhasim Israel |
|
| Information | |
| Established | 1955 |
| Founder | Rabbi Noah Shimonowitz |
| Affiliation | Haredi Judaism |
| Rosh yeshiva | Rabbi Yehoshua Mann |
| Mashgiach ruchani | Rabbi Dov Yaffe |
Knesses Chizkiyahu was one of the first Lithuanian yeshivas founded after the establishment of the State of Israel and one of the first Torah institutions in the northern part of the country. Founded in Zikhron Ya'akov in 1949, it relocated to Kfar Hasidim, adjacent to Rekhasim, in 1955, where it operates today with nearly 200 students and a kolel.
Knesses Chizkiyahu was founded by Rabbi Noah Shimonowitz, one of the greatest students of Rabbi Boruch Ber Leibowitz, who decided to open a yeshiva after surviving the Holocaust. He visited the Chazon Ish for his blessing and advice, and was told to seek a suitable location in the north of Israel, which at the time did not host any Torah institutions. Together with his brother-in-law, Rabbi Dovid Mishkovsky, Rabbi Shimonowitz established the yeshiva in the central synagogue of Zikhron Ya'akov and named it after Mishkovsky's father, Rabbi Chizkiyahu Yosef Mishkovsky, former Rav of Krinik, Poland. The initial enrollment of three students expanded to thirty students by the end of the first year.
In 1952, Rabbi Elyah Lopian, the contemporary leader of the Mussar movement, joined the staff as Mashgiach Ruchani, together with his son-in-law, Rabbi Kalman Pinsky. Lopian's influence on the yeshiva was so pronounced that it continues to this day. As an example of one tradition which he instituted, any yeshiva student who fills a cup to wash his hands must refill it for the next user in line.
The yeshiva experienced much difficulty in its early years, as students lacked sleeping facilities and organized meals due to the country's difficult economic situation. The location of the yeshiva in the central synagogue also caused friction between the students and local residents coming to pray. The yeshiva administration decided to find a new building, and then to leave Zikhron Ya'akov altogether.
When the news spread that the yeshiva was seeking a new home, many Orthodox Jewish communities extended a hand of welcome, but none were located in the north where the Chazon Ish had desired a yeshiva to be founded. Finally, a group of activists from the northern village of Kfar Hasidim petitioned the yeshiva and were accepted.
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Wikipedia