TORONTO – The Yeshiva University (YU) Torah Mitzion Beit Midrash of Toronto – an affliliate of YU’s Centre for the Jewish Future (CJF), which aims to energize Jewish communities around the world, and the worldwide Kollel Torah Mitzion promoting the connection between Torah and Israel – will be opening Sept. 1 at Clanton Park Synagogue.

“The Toronto beit midrash, a permanent cadre of Torah scholars who will reside in Toronto, will serve as a satellite of YU’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS),” said Rabbi Kenneth Brander, the David Mitzner dean of CJF. “The multi-tiered program will tailor learning to the men, women and youth of the affiliated community, as well as reach out to the greater Jewish community.”  

“The goal is to create a beit midrash (house of learning) that is affiliated with a religious Zionist outlook and a YU perspective,” said Rabbi Mordechai Torczyner, who will lead the new kollel (institute for advanced Talmudic studies and rabbinic literature). “Even beginners with nominal Jewish education will be put on a trajectory to advance their Jewish learning and empower them to delve into the rich texts of our tradition.”

Torah Mitzion had been interested in launching a Toronto kollel for a number of years. The well-known, philanthropic Rubinstein and Koschitzky families have been the primary movers, among others, in establishing the new local institution, which will be named ‘Zichron Dov,’ in memory of Eli Rubinstein’s late father.

There are six member families in the kollel, which is looking at the possibility of bringing in some single young men from YU and Torah Mitzion in Israel.

According to Rabbi Torczyner, “the beit midrash will be open to the public to sit and learn, and if women want to come and learn with other women, they’re welcome.” As well, the organizers are looking at regular programming for women and parent-child opportunities.

Plans have also been made for the beit midrash to have a presence in the B’nei Akiva high schools.

The kollel will also be taking a “really active role on the college campuses, working with [Rabbi] Aaron Greenberg [of Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus – JLIC] and others,” the rabbi said.

Asked whether the campus program would be political as well, Rabbi Torczyner said:
“Not overtly so. It will be de facto political because when you come out and say Jews have the right to live in the land of Israel, that’s political.”

Its purpose, however, is to be a religious, educational program. For instance, “we’re not planning on holding demonstrations,” he said.

Rabbi Azarya Berzon, a student of the esteemed Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, known as the founding father of modern orthodoxy, will be a one-year beit midrash scholar-in-residence. He taught in Israel for 13 years, served in the Israeli army for 14 years, and in 1991 established Yeshivat Sha’arei Mevasseret Zion, where he served as Rosh Yeshiva (professor of Talmud) for 18 years.

Rabbi Torczyner, who grew up on Long Island, spent two years after high school at Yeshivat Kerem beYavneh, an Israeli hesder yeshiva, which combines army service with Torah study. Upon returning to America, he studied at YU, where he earned a master’s degree and was ordained at RIETS. Most recently, he was spiritual leader of Congregation Sons of Israel in Allentown, PA, for eight years. He is a member of the Rabbinical Council of America-Orthodox Union Joint Kashruth Commission and the Rabbinical Council of America’s Task Force on Business Ethics.

Rabbi Torczyner excels in using the Internet and social media outlets to spread Torah to people around the globe, particularly with his WebShas online index to the Talmud.