Most of the students are Israelis in the hesder program, which integrates intensive yeshiva study with at least 15 months of active service in the Israel Defense Forces. Post-high school overseas students are also accepted after undergoing a selective application and interview process. Many return after university to study for the rabbinate in the yeshiva's Semicha Program and affiliated Herzog College. Over 550 alumni from overseas have made aliyah and a high percentage are involved in Jewish education. Others have gone on to prominent academic careers in science, law, medicine, engineering and mathematics. Yeshivat Darkaynu, a yeshiva program is housed on the YHE campus.
History
In 1968, shortly after the Six-Day War, a movement was founded to resettle the Gush Etzion region. Yehuda Amital, a prominent rabbi and Jewish educator was asked to head the yeshiva. Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein moved from the United States soon after it was established to join Amital as Rosh Yeshiva. First established in Kfar Etzion, it moved to Alon Shvut, where it developed into a major institution. The current yeshiva building was finished in 1977. On January 4, 2006, Rabbis Yaaqov Medan and Baruch Gigi joined Amital and Lichtenstein as roshei yeshiva in anticipation of Amital's upcoming retirement. Amital's involvement in the yeshiva effectively ended due to illness in the later months of 2009, and he died in July 2010. Lichtenstein died in April 2015, and his son, Mosheh Lichtenstein, replaced him as Rosh Yeshiva.
According to the mission statement of the yeshiva, it advocates a combination of Torah study and a love of the Jewish people and the Land of Israel. Its embrace of spirituality and religious striving is tempered with a message of moderation and openness. YHE encourages serious study, creative thought, intellectual rigor, fellowship with all Jews regardless of level of observance or political outlook, and a universal, humanistic outlook. YHE employs the Brisk analytic style of Talmud study.
Libraries
The yeshiva operates two libraries. The Torah Library has over 70,000 volumes, as well as CDs, microfilms, a collection of rare Judaica and an antique book facility. The state-of-the-art Pedagogic Resource Center of the Herzog College supplements the central Torah library, providing audio-visual material for teachers of Judaic studies in Israel and worldwide.
YHE established the Israel Koschitzky Virtual Beit Midrash, which provides yeshiva-style courses and shiurim in Torah and Judaism to students of all ages outside the Yeshiva walls, in an effort to open to the greatest extent possible a window into the Beit Midrash. Over 18,000 subscribers in every continent throughout the world subscribe to weekly shiurim, in English, Hebrew and Russian covering subjects such as Tanakh, Gemara, Halakha, Jewish philosophy and various other Jewish topics.
KMTT
KMTT is a daily Torah study Podcast, from Yeshivat Har Etzion which is sent out every day of the week.
