YU Torah MiTzion Kollel

For a decade the Kollel Torah MiTzion of Chicago has been an incubator of Torah learning in Chicago, and now the kollel, with a new name and makeup, has an even greater potential to enhance and influence the community. Beginning this past Elul, the kollel was renamed YU Torah MiTzion Kollel of Chicago, representing the hybrid of Yeshiva University’s Center for the Jewish Future RIETS in affiliation with Kollel Torah Mitzion. Ten families, many of which are new to Chicago, joined the kollel, under the leadership of Rosh Kollel Rabbi Reuven Brand and Executive Director Rabbi Phil Karesh.
    Rabbi Brand says the Kollel is now positioned to have an even greater influence on the community. Fellows, who commit to two or three years in the Kollel, are no longer transients and many of them may stay on in Chicago. “These fellows are training to be future rabbis, educators and leaders. We’re seeding the Chicago community with leaders for the long term.”
    In addition, says Rabbi Brand, the Kollel is contributing to the Torah environment in many existing Chicago institutions. “Part of why we don’t have our own building is because whereever we are, we are adding value. When we’re at K.I.N.S., we’re adding value; when we’re at the Academy, we’re adding value.”
    For ICJA students, the advantage of having the Kollel in the building is tremendous. The students have multi-layered interactions with the fellows, including: chavrutot, shiurim and chizuk in the classroom, and special high school programming.  One of the most important interactions, says Rabbi Karesh, are the casual encounters that happen daily in the Academy hallways. “There are no kollelim with such young guys [most fellows are right out of college] engaged in the community, making the role model factor so unique. We are young enough to relate to the students and old enough to be their role models.”
    The Kollel programming for youth is geared at boys and girls irrespective of their school, but ICJA students are uniquely positioned to interact with the fellows. “We have grassroots connections to ICJA students, and walking in the hallways is a breeding ground for relationship building,” says Rabbi Karesh.
    Each week the kollel offers nearly 25 classes geared specifically to youth, women and to men, including: Torah Learning Network with chavrutot and chinese dinner for students, Breakfast and Learn, Parsha and Pizza, machshava, Tanach, and Gemara.