Who Are We?

The Pre-military Torah Academy in Bet-El was founded 9 years ago. Our mission is to strengthen and deepen Israeli youths' ties with their Jewish roots, while preparing them physically and emotionally for army service and adult life.

There are currently more than 100 boys studying in the Academy's program, including 30 in active army service.

The Boys

The majority of our students come from nominally religious high-schools, and partially or minimally observant homes. Many of them come from a socially and economically deprived background, with little motivation for personal development or service to society.

The Program

In the Academy, the boys receive a comprehensive program of Torah study, high level physical training and endless hours of individual counseling by the Academy's rabbis. The classes are small, so as to allow for maximal attention to every student's needs.

The boys discover the beauty and grandeur of our traditions, and develop a lifelong commitment to a Torah way of life. Many of them also continue to positions of command and elite combat units in the army.

When the students finish their army service they return to the Academy for one more year of preparation for life and marriage. During this year, they enrich their Jewish knowledge and strengthen their commitment to building a home based on Torah values.

The Staff

The Academy is headed by Rabbi Moshe Elya, under the spiritual guidance of Rabbi Zalman Melamed, rabbi of Bet-El and the Bet-El Yeshiva. The educational staff consists of nine rabbis, and three counselors.

The staff of the Academy, both educational and administrative, is entirely devoted to the boys' personal and religious development.

The boys' relationships with the rabbis continue beyond the confines of the Academy and army service, so they always have a Torah authority to consult about life's dilemmas and challenges.

The Stories

Yisrael:

“I realize how different the twelfth-grader who reached here two years ago is from the mature person I am today…

All that interested me was the next party or outing with the guys…

From my rabbis here I drew the faith that enabled me to change and grow into a better and more moral person.”

Ori:

“I came to the Academy from the ‘field’ of parties, night clubs, alcohol, girls… In the Academy I reached the conclusion that my life until now had been aimless.

Because of the warm and caring attitude of the rabbis here… my life has changed.”

100% Success!

All the students of the Academy – even the “failures” who discontinue the program for one reason or another – leave it more mature, and more committed to Torah and Judaism than when they arrived.