Etz Chaim Kollel
Kollel Etz Chaim is a vibrant high-level kollel in the heart of Golders Green. In the morning there is a unique chabura of talmidei chachamim learning Omud Yomi a week with Rishonim and Acharonim. There are regular in-depth chaburas given by one of the chavrei hakollel and the Rosh Kollel, Rav Yitzchok Eliezer Leiser weekly. Additionally the kuntresim of chiddushim are published at regular intervals which brings out a special achdus of the kollel,There are other local talmidei chachamim and choshuve ba’alei batim which learn together with the kollel in the Beis Midrash. In the afternoon, there is a high-level Choshen Mishpat kollel which over the years has produced outstanding dayanim and marbitzei Torah. More recently a new halocho kollel has been opened learning Yoreh Deah in-depth from the Gemara through to the halocho lema’aseh. In addition, there is a unique Shabbos and Motzei Shabbos kollel learning seder Taharos in-depth which has recently published a widely acclaimed sefer on Maseches Zavim.
History
Kollel Etz Chaim is a continuation of the illustrious Etz Chaim Yeshiva which was founded over a hundred years ago in the East End of London. It is the oldest continuously functioning makom Torah in Europe. This yeshiva has counted among its Roshei Yeshiva such Torah luminaries as Rav Elya Lopian, Rav Greenspan, Rav Ordman and Rav Aharon Pfeiffer. For the last forty years until his recent petira, the Rosh Yeshiva was Rav Zvi Rabi ztl. As the number of bachurim in the Yeshivah dwindled, the decision was taken to continue the mission of Yeshivas Etz Chaim by opening the beis hamedrash to chaburos of dedicated yungerleit who would hold aloft the torch of Torah learning that the Yeshivah had carried for so many years. This transformation was successfully accomplished under the direction of the last Rosh Yeshivah, Harav Zvi Rabi zt”l. He gathered around him a group of dedicated talmidei chachamim who followed the Rosh Yeshivah’s personal example of pure Torah learning lishmah – learning only for the love of Torah. The beis hamedrash became a centre for serious learning at all times of the day. Many of the lomdim went on to become distinguished magidei shiurim, rabbanim and dayanim in London and around the world.
Such was Rav Rabi’s influence that anyone entering the Beis Midrash of Etz Chaim at almost any time of the day would find a vibrant atmosphere of Torah learning reminiscent of the great Yeshivas of Eretz Yisrael. Right up to his final years, Rav Rabi would be found in the Beis Midrash, three sedorim a day, inspiring others with his personal example of mesirus nefesh for the Torah. He instilled in everyone who met him true kavod for the Torah and for those who learn it. This had a ripple effect on the whole of the Golders Green area and helped inspire others to be machshiv Torah and set up their own kollelim, yeshivas and kehillas. Etz Chaim has served as a constant beacon of light that has helped revive the true chashivus of Torah in the North West London and beyond.
Recent years
During the last fifteen years two other kollelim joined the important group of Rabbanim and avreichim and ba’alei battim learning together with the Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Rabi. One was the Daf Yomi kollel, Be’er Simcha, of Rav Yisroel Brunner. A significant group of dedicated and talented talmidei chachamim spent many hours a day in intense concentration, learning the daf in depth and publishing a kuntres of their chiddushim twice a year. Just recently they merited to be mesayem the Daf Yomi cycle for the second time, enabling these talmidei chachamim to attain mastery of the whole of Shas.
The other kollel that joined Rav Rabi was the well-known Choshen Mishpat kollel of Rav Menachem Noe. A large group of talented avreichim joined together with Rav Rabi, Rav Mordechai Fisher and other distinguished talmidei chachamim such as Dayan Yehoshua Berkowitz. Together they learned through the whole of Choshen Mishpat producing and continuing to produce dayanim, marbitzei Torah and authors of important seforim to the benefit of the entire worldwide Torah community.
Contemporary developments
Recently, the Kollel has begun to expand its activities even more. Two new kollelim have joined. In the afternoon a new group of dedicated young avreichim has begun to learn Hilchos Yoreh Deah in depth, right through from the sugyas in the Gemara with Rishonim, Tur Beis Yosef, Shulchan Aruch and its commentaries as well as the latest contemporary teshuvos.
The unique Shabbos Taharos kollel has moved to Etz Chaim. It is the only kollel learning seder Tahoros in the area. The limmud is in depth, including all the major Rishonim. The Rosh Kollel, Rav Yitzchok Eliezer Leiser, recently published a sefer with the haskomos of Gedolei Hador containing the weekly chaburas that have been given on Maseches Zavim.
Finally, the Daf Yomi morning kollel has now been transformed into a unique Amud Yomi kollel. The kollel learns three blatt a week b’iyun, with Rishonim and Acharonim, with chazara on Shabbos. These enables the avreichim to go into significantly greater depth than the Daf Yomi format allowed. The new Rosh Kollel, Rav Yitzchok Eliezer Leiser, gives a weekly in-depth chabura and there are also regular chaburas from the other important members of the kollel as well as from the other Rabbanim of Yeshivas Etz Chaim. Many of these chaburas are gathered together, printed and published as a sefer each year. The atmosphere of intense learning lishmah by such a dedicated and serious group of avreichim is truly unique. Other Rabbanim, talmidei chachamim and choshuve ba’alei battim also learn in the kollel each morning and afternoon, creating a tremendous ruach of Torah learning. The kollel also organises Yarchei Kalloh for the benefit of the whole community.
Present and future
The aim of the present campaign is to support the unique Torah learning of Kollel Etz Chaim and potentially to expand its activities even more. In this way it can continue to serve as a powerhouse of Torah, influencing not only those immediately connected to Etz Chaim but also to the whole wider community. This is particularly important after the recent petira of our venerable and inspirational Rosh Yeshiva for so many years, Rav Rabi ztl. We wish to continue and develop the amazing foundations of Torah, Yiras Shomayim and mesirus nefesh that he established over the last forty years which was itself a continuation of the avodah of previous Gedolim such as Rav Elya Lopian and others from the Yeshiva’s earlier years.
In recognition of the vital role that the Yeshivas Etz Chaim Kollelim has in the community, the Yeshivah is embarking on a campaign to ensure its financial security in the future.
The whole kehillah now has an opportunity to participate in this historic project.
