The Jerusalem Kollel was founded with the intent of inspiring and training kollel students of the highest caliber to assume positions of leadership in Jewish communities worldwide.

The concept is simple and just had to be done. The yeshiva community continues to grow at a steadily increasing rate while assimilation is eating away at the dwindling Jewish population. Torah Scholarship is on the rise while ignorance in Jewish values is more rampant than ever. What could be more obvious than enlisting some of the finest products of the yeshiva system to stand at the forefront of the battle against assimilation?

And so, in the summer of 5762-2002, recruitment began for the initial group of twelve students who would form the cornerstone of the kollel-to-be. The kollel opened in the autumn and within months the student body exceeded twenty high quality young men committed to serving the Jewish people. Now starting its 8th year, the Kollel boasts over 70 hand-picked students, being groomed for their future roles.

The first kollel member to be placed assumed a major outreach position in the UK within the kollel's first year, with many more accepting positions since that time. Today, Jewish communities and outreach organizations regularly approach the kollel in search of talent to fill leadership positions throughout the world. Currently, the Kollel already has already placed over 90 alumni to work throughout the world for Klal Yisrael: from Seattle to Berlin; from Johannesburg to Edmonton.

The concept has become reality.

The Kollel is directed by Rav Yitzchak Berkovits who, in addition to being a leading posek and Jewish thinker, comes with decades of experience in Jewish education and preparing students from different backgrounds for rabbinical and outreach positions.

As menahel ruchani of Yeshivat Aish HaTorah for over sixteen years, Rav Berkovits nurtured hundreds of young men and women on their path to Torah observance and continued to guide them through the various stages of growth as dedicated Jews ,responsible parents and community leaders. Rav Berkovits also developed and taught Aish’s smicha program, guiding over 80 graduates through successful completion.

Rav Berkovits is a prominent and widely sought after posek, baal eitzah, and hashkafist, and is also an international advisor on community matters. He also heads the Kollel Linas HaTzedek network in Israel and in the U.S., which is dedicated to the study of bein adam lachaveiro- man’s responsibility to his fellow man. His classes on halachic issues in kiruv have been an important component in many outreach training programs. In addition, he regularly trains groups of yeshiva students as future rabbanim, who have consistently taken positions of leadership around the world

Further, Rabbi Berkovits is widely renowned as an original Jewish thinker. His output in this, as well as in halacha, parenting, marriage, and many other areas, has been disseminated throughout the Jewish world in the form of writing, audio tracks and video. In addition, his many students have also spread his ideas throughout the world, basing many works of hashkafa and halacha on his teachings.