"Successful chinuch requires that the mechanech, the educator actually respects his students and looks at them as important and people with individual personalities, a lot to offer. And I think as the posuk says כַּמַּיִם הַפָּנִ֣ים לַפָּנִ֑ים:if you respect someone else they will return that respect." Rav Yitzchok Hirschfeld, Yeshivas Darche Noam (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIRZT9kvKzY)
So as I have mentioned on this blog many times, according to Rav Yaakov Kamenetsky zt'l, the goal of the kiruv professional should be simply to help the baal teshuvah take on the mitzvos. He should not impose conformity or eradicate the essence of the person. Rav Yaakov said that it is important that the BT feel normal. He said that, for example, the typical BT will not feel normal if he does not complete his or her college education. Thus, he or she should not be discouraged from doing so. Rav Yaakov was widely regarded at the baal aitzah - the master of good advice -- in the Litvish world. So let's consider his advice. Seems DN is trying to do this.
The yeshiva has its own relatively new facility in a good neighborhood. Beit HaKarem is in the middle of Jerusalem in a mixed area, meaning religious people, not yet religious, Charedim, modern. For many new BTs, this makes more sense than being in a hardcore Charedi neighborhood, which can feel oppressive to newcomers. Given the school's approach to respect for all paths, this is a good choice. I remember early on in my BT journey, while living in Monsey, once having a Shabbos meal at a Modern Orthodox family's house and finding it so refreshing, being around people who understood sports (the father had actually played basketball with Bob Cousy). God bless Charedim, but jumping right into Charedi society can be very uncomfortable for new BTs. It can be unhealthy. You can lose yourself.
The library room is very organized, books all in a row, tagged by type, good selection of English. I only have a photo of the Hebrew part.
That's about a quarter of it.
Stairs:
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The school is on a pretty, residential street, which is right off of Herzl, which is a much busier street. So it's easy to get to, but pleasant and quiet. They are 50 meters from a light rail stop, which enables students to travel throughout Jerusalem. You can actually see the yeshiva from the light rail stop. That's how close it is. On this small scale, neighborhood map the light rail is on top and the David Shapell college in the middle.
That's less than a minute walk.
Here's where it sits on a larger map of Jerusalem. See the red pin bubble (or whatever they call it) on the left, inside the box? Meah Shearim is top right. Government buildings, museums, and parks are to the right of the yeshiva.
Here's the building:
The building makes excellent use of space, providing a roomy beis midrash with a semi-separate library, 4 (I think it was 4) classrooms, a big dining room, dignified dorm rooms (in some schools the dorm situation is dicey), and even a small lounge where people can sit and speak.
and here:
Here's the street:
The Beis Midrash is in good shape. Very new looking, dignified, organized, nice design with some complexity and color to it. Here's are photos of the beis midrash from the web:
Lobby:
You see exercise equipment at the bottom there.
There's also a roomy dining room.
It's all in good condition.
I'll talk more about the location in a bit, but first the more important matter of curriculum. The website says that they offer classes in Gemara, Hebrew (three levels), Chumash, Halacha, Jewish thought, Contemporary Halacha, Parshat Hashavua, and Chassidus. They have a monthly Holocaust Education Program. There’s also a weekly mussar “shmuze” delivered by the rosh yeshiva or mashgiach on Tuesday mornings, and “frequent guest speakers on Thursdays.” The students also engage in chesed projects.
So as we know, what's written on websites it's always current. I inquired. Right now they have a weekly Daat Tevunot class, explanation of davening, a rationalist look at Judaism class, chumash and halacha, a twice monthly open forum called "Issues and Answers", and a weekly shmuze. Also, of course, Gemara and Hebrew.
That's a decent range of classes. I believe BT schools need a class in mitzvos, where they learn about the basic rules and meaning of Yom Tov, Matzah, Esrogim, Niddah, Matzah, Tefillin, Purim, Tefillah, etc. It appears that they don't have that as they describe themselves as a "second stage yeshiva." So it's not the place for brand new BTs, but for people who have been frum for a little while and want to get more in depth with their studies.
Most of the day is built around Gemara. They write, "50-60% of of time is spent on Talmud versus other subjects. There are 8 different levels of learning. Emphasis is placed on independent learning skills and thinking" (https://www.yu.edu/israel-program/gis/mens) So probably what you get here is a Litvish program with a more open attitude that gives you Hebrew, halacha, some Chassidus, guest speakers, and trips. It's a kind of RIETS/Yeshiva University for baalei teshuvah. So it may not be the best place for super spiritual/Carlebach or Chassidic types of people. For that you have Mayanot, Oryata, Hadar Hatorah, and Sha'arie Shalom.
They have guest speakers: “Positioned in the center of the Jewish world, Shapell’s students have the frequent pleasure of distinguished and diverse speakers from Israel and around the Jewish world.” (website) A person who is interested in a Torah u'maddah-YU kind of experience could go to the James Striar school at YU in NYC if he is a YU student of some kind. That's a program for men are are newcomers to Torah life. I assume a person at another college could go there for a year or so and get transfer credits. Another approach to getting a YU kind of experience is to come to Shapell's.
As for students, they seem to be college grads/professionals. They have all kinds of Ivy League kinds of guys here too who are serious about their studies. Here's a Harvard guy who went to Shapell's: (from Arutz Sheva)
Here’s a graduate of Shapell’s who went on to get a PhD from Harvard University.
So before moving to Boston to pursue further graduate studies, he and Yael spent a year at the David Shapell College of Jewish Studies/Yeshiva Darche Noam in Jerusalem. “That year in Israel really accelerated my knowledge,” Aldrich said. “We both studied text full time. We came back to Boston fully observant.
Aldrich received a Ph.D. in Government from Harvard and his wife received an M.B.A. and an M.A. in Jewish Community Studies, both from Brandeis University. (
Here's a Penn. Wharton, Columbia guy who went to Shapells.
I know another Harvard guy who went there and a U of Chicago guy.
Shapell's is in Jerusalem proper. It's a bit of a hike to Meah She'arim, but you can do it. 3 KM, about a 40 minute walk. But you can walk from Shapell's to the government and museum districts. In fact, there's a bike lane that runs from right near the yeshiva all the way to Hebrew University and the Jewish museum. Here's some photos of that:
The bike path right near the school has some nice views. I didn't do a great job with these pictures, but you can see the hills of Jerusalem in the background.
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As for atmosphere, it was very friendly. I walked in the door and people really were as nice as could be. A rabbi approached me. Turns out it was Rabbi Hirschfeld, one of the founders. He confirmed for me that "we are not a cookie cutter place." He seemed to me with his long beard and dark suit to be a Yeshiva man, but he understood that baalei teshuvah need to go at their own pace and find their own way. I liked his attitude and his middos. (He's from Chicago.) The guys were very together kinds of young men, hard working, friendly, pleasant. I walked in during Mincha, and then they had some kind of quick talk. The room was full. Must have been 30-40 bochurim in there. Some might have been alumni. I'm not sure what was going on.
To experience the staff, try the virtual beit midrash: https://darchenoam.org/virtualbeitmidrash/
Here's Rabbi Eliezer Kwass on halacha according to Acharonim. https://darchenoam.org/achronim-chabura/
Daas Tevunos with Rabbi Stone: https://darchenoam.org/daat-tevunot-with-rabbi-stone/
Daily halacha with Rabbi Silberberg: https://darchenoam.org/daily-halacha-course/
Here's a bunch more:
All in all, I was very impressed. I felt comfortable. I saw a book from Rabbi Soloveitchik on the shelf. I saw My Prayer, the book on tefillah from Chabad Chossid Rabbi Nissan Mandel. It would seem that Shapell's would be a very good choice for many people. Aish and Ohr Somayach are bigger. I know Ohr Somayach has lots of frum from birth guys who are there for various reasons. Aish does too. Shapell's might have a few also. You might prefer that. You might not. You might say that going to Aish and Ohr Somayach are more like attending larger state colleges and Shapell's is more like a smaller quality liberal arts college.
Here's the lounge:
Here's one of the classrooms:
and more:
The library also serves as a large shiur room.
The institution seems to be well run, organized. And since there's a sister seminary school (Midreshet Rachal v'chaya) there are shiduchim (dates) available. The seminary is located in Givat Shaul, which is not far. It reminds me of Yeshiva University again with the Washington Heights (Men's branch) and Grammercy Park (Stern College for women) branches on different sides of Manhattan.
Another plus to Shapell's is they do a good job of staying in touch with former students. I have been to half of dozen of their events myself over the years and I didn't even go there. You can also stay connected via their online beit midrash: Shapell’s/Darche Noam has a virtual beit midrash with live shiurim from five different people and recorded shiurim on Daas Tevunos of the Ramchal, Gevuros Hashem of the Maharal, parsha, Six Constant mitzvos, guest speaker series, Mesillas Yisharim, Daily Halacha, “The Weekly Schmuze,” and the “In-Dialogue Series.”
So all of that sounds wonderful except for one caveat. People are generally zionistic here in the sense of wanting to live in Israel and possibly also believing the state is the beginning of the geulah or that even if not that it's a wonderful thing. So it's not a good place for an anti-Zionist or a non-Zionist. Likewise, if you are highly critical of the Israeli military or police for their treatment of Palestinians and Charedim, you might not be comfortable here. They say 40% of the students make aliyah and are proud of that fact. Unfortunately, there appears to be pressure to live in Israel even though that is not a good choice for many people. Some of the rabbis there present living in Israel as an obligation. They bring in guest speakers who do the same. So in that way, it does impose a derech. And such pressure would not be allowing a student to find his own way. Many zionists will argue that it's the right choice for everyone. In my opinion, that's unwise. Rav Soloveitchik said you should live where you can do the most good.
Notes: I believe the school goes by two names 1) Yeshivas Darche Noam 2) David Shapell College of Jewish Studies or Shapell's for short. The seminary is Midreshet Rachel v'Chaya. The names Darche Noam and Shapell's are also used to describe the entire institution, including the yeshiva, the seminary, the married students program, Executive learning, and Jack Gindi Pathways Israel, which appears to be a kind of Birthright/trip to Israel.
"Darche Noam / David Shapells College of Jewish Studies is a Yeshiva University S. Daniel Abraham Israel Program School."
The S. Daniel Abraham Israel Program (SDAIP) is an educational partnership between Yeshiva University and more than 41 yeshivot and seminaries in Israel. For the more than 600 young men and women each year who choose to begin their Yeshiva University education with a year of Torah study in Israel, the program provides structure, support, guidance and programming during their first year as members of the YU family. https://www.yu.edu/israel-program
The S. Daniel Abraham Israel Program gives students access to YU's roshei yeshiva and liberal arts and business faculty who visit Israel several times each year. It also sponsors lectures and shiurim featuring prominent rabbeim and lecturers at Yeshiva University's Gruss Institute in Jerusalem. Students may also participate in a variety of YU-sponsored programs, ranging from academic to extracurricular to chessed, all designed to enhance the Israel experience. (https://www.yu.edu/israel-program/gis)
I believe this also qualifies the student for Federal Student Aid (which means loans mostly).
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