About Hadar Hatorah

Our Mission

A Foundation in Torah. A Path for Your Future. Hadar Hatorah is the world’s first yeshivah specifically for men from all Jewish backgrounds. Since 1962, we have provided an entry point for students who found their way to traditional learning later in life. We offer a serious environment for peers who share a drive to gain the skills and knowledge needed to live a Jewish life with confidence.

The yeshiva building in early summer.

A Historic Legacy

Established by Rabbi Yisroel Jacobson under the guidance of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Hadar Hatorah began as a revolutionary program for men seeking intellectual and spiritual depth. What started as an unofficial program at Lubavitch World Headquarters has grown into a global institution. Today, we continue that legacy, helping students connect with eternal wisdom in the heart of Crown Heights.

A Message from the Rosh Yeshivah

"More than fifty years ago, when Hadar Hatorah was first founded, it was a revolutionary idea for a young man to want to attach himself to a traditional, chassidic lifestyle and join a yeshiva to accomplish these purposes. Nowadays, it is much easier. It is more accepted, more understood but still not necessarily an easy step to take.

At Hadar Hatorah, we try to make this transition process as easy and inspiring as possible. One important resource is the community of Crown Heights at large. This includes many of our own alumni, professionals and businessmen, raising families of their own. These individuals are truly a significant resource, providing an example and additional channel for direction for Hadar Hatorah students.

Most important, however, is the knowledge of Judaism that you, the student will learn and absorb in the yeshiva itself. The process of learning and study is all encompassing, requiring time, patience and determination. It is not only absorbing information, but bringing this information to a level of personal realization.

Our teachers are here to support you, guide you and answer all your questions, no matter what they might be. Our goal is guide and educate you to become a practicing and knowledgeable Jew and a Chasid of the Rebbe.

Whether a man joins Hadar Hatorah’s full-time program for a significant period of time or just for the summer program in the Catskills or even for one of the ten-day YeshivaCations given three times a year, he will surely gain knowledge and love for our holy Jewish tradition."

— Rabbi Yaakov Goldberg, Rosh Yeshiva

Rabbi Yakov Goldberg (r) and a photograph of the Lubavitcher Rebbe and young J.J. Hecht