Rabbinical College of Pretoria - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Rabbinical College of Pretoria ( Hebrew

Hebrew language

Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...

Machon L'Hora'a) is a Chabad

Chabad

Chabad or Chabad-Lubavitch is a major branch of Hasidic Judaism.Chabad may also refer to:*Chabad-Strashelye, a defunct branch of the Chabad school of Hasidic Judaism*Chabad-Kapust or Kapust, a defunct branch of the Chabad school of Hasidic Judaism...

Yeshiva

Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...

in Pretoria

Pretoria

Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...

, South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

. It was established in 2001 under the inspiration of late Chief Rabbi

Chief Rabbi

Chief Rabbi is a title given in several countries to the recognized religious leader of that country's Jewish community, or to a rabbinic leader appointed by the local secular authorities...

Cyril Harris

Cyril Kitchener Harris, , was Chief Rabbi of South Africa from 1987 to 2004....

. The Yeshiva is headed

Rosh yeshiva

Rosh yeshiva, , , is the title given to the dean of a Talmudical academy . It is made up of the Hebrew words rosh — meaning head, and yeshiva — a school of religious Jewish education...

by Rabbi Levi Wineberg, internationally known for his annotated translation of the Tanya

Tanya

The Tanya is an early work of Hasidic philosophy, by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder of Chabad Hasidism, first published in 1797. Its formal title is Likkutei Amarim , but is more commonly known by its opening word, Tanya, which means "it was taught in a beraita"...

.

Since the Yeshiva focuses on semicha
Semicha
, also , or is derived from a Hebrew word which means to "rely on" or "to be authorized". It generally refers to the ordination of a rabbi within Judaism. In this sense it is the "transmission" of rabbinic authority to give advice or judgment in Jewish law...

(ordination), students have studied for several years in other institutions. After successfully completing the one year programme, students receive semicha from both Rabbi Wineberg and Rabbi Yaacov Warhaftig of Machon Ariel in Jerusalem http://www.rabbis.org/pdfs/ApprovedYeshivot.pdf. To date 98 Rabbis have been ordained at the Yeshiva http://www.phc.org.za/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=31.

The Yeshiva is an important component of the Pretoria Jewish community - there is daily interaction between students and congregants, and one-on-one torah study

Torah study

Torah study is the study by Jewish people of the Torah, Hebrew Bible, Talmud, responsa, rabbinic literature and similar works, all of which are Judaism's religious texts...

with members of the community every evening.

See also