Beit Orot

Beit Orot (Hebrew: ישיבת בית אורות, 'House of Lights Yeshiva') is a hesder yeshiva — a religious Zionist institution that combines advanced Torah study with shortened military service — located on the Mount of Olives in East Jerusalem, adjacent to the Hebrew University's Mount Scopus campus. The yeshiva was founded in 1990 by Rabbi Hanan Porat and Rabbi Binyamin (Benny) Elon, and it was named in memory of Giora Ashkenazi, a company commander in the Paratroopers Brigade and Porat's commander, who fell in battle at that location during the Six-Day War. The building itself has a layered history: it was constructed in the late 1920s by Hilde Anderson, a Swedish Christian journalist and correspondent for a newspaper called 'Carmel,' who called it 'The Swedish Nest of Jerusalem' and used it to host dignitaries including Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie and Swedish Crown Prince Gustav. Anderson was killed by a sniper's bullet in 1948. The property later passed through several hands before being purchased in 1985 by Erwin Moskowitz; it was initially intended for the Jerusalem branch of the Mafdal party before Porat and Elon initiated the yeshiva's establishment. After about four years of renovations, students began studying in August 1990. Rabbi Elon headed the yeshiva until his election to the Knesset in 1996. Over the years, the yeshiva developed a range of programs, including a teaching institute, a 'Torat HaMedina' program focused on the Torah-based vision of the State of Israel, and a kollel for rabbinic studies. In 2014, a conflict erupted between the yeshiva's founders and members of the association's board, leading to the dismissal of the rosh yeshiva and a legal battle that reached the Supreme Court. In January 2022, the Supreme Court ruled definitively that control of the yeshiva would rest with the rosh yeshiva and the association's founders. The yeshiva closed following the dispute, but in September 2022 it reopened as a 'Jerusalem beit midrash for post-army students — Beit Orot,' headed by Rabbi Chen Chalmish and Rabbi Elchanan Ben-Nun. Today, the yeshiva continues to operate under Rabbi Chen Chalmish, offering Torah study, community volunteering, and educational programs, with a strong connection to the Mount of Olives and the Hebrew University.

The building that houses Beit Orot was constructed in the late 1920s by Hilde Anderson, a Swedish Christian journalist and correspondent for a newspaper called 'Carmel.' She named it 'The Swedish Nest of Jerusalem,' and it served as a guesthouse for dignitaries, including Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie and Swedish Crown Prince Gustav. Anderson was killed by a sniper's bullet in 1948. The house passed to Anderson's family and was later purchased by Mohammed Issa Abu Sabitani, a businessman from the Abu Tor neighborhood, who rented it out. In 1985, his heirs sold the house and surrounding land for several million dollars to Erwin Moskowitz. Initially, the building was intended to house the Jerusalem branch of the Mafdal party. Later, Rabbi Hanan Porat and Rabbi Binyamin (Benny) Elon initiated the establishment of the yeshiva. The yeshiva was founded in memory of Giora Ashkenazi, a company commander in the Paratroopers Brigade and Porat's commander, who was killed in battle at that location during the Six-Day War. After renovation work lasting about four years, students began their studies in August 1990. Rabbi Elon headed the yeshiva until his election to the Knesset in 1996. In September 2001, the Minister of National Infrastructures, Avigdor Lieberman, ordered the Israel Electric Corporation to connect Beit Orot to Israel's national electricity grid, replacing the East Jerusalem electric company's network. In January 2010, the Jerusalem Municipality approved a construction plan for four additional buildings with 24 housing units for staff families and married students. The cornerstone-laying ceremony for the new buildings took place in January 2011, attended by Mike Huckabee, former governor of Arkansas. In 2014, the residential neighborhood was inaugurated, and Rabbi Dov Lior moved to live there. The yeshiva compound, located near the a-Tur neighborhood, suffered from riots including stone-throwing and harassment of Jewish residents. In 2014, a conflict developed between the yeshiva's founders and members of the association's board. The association's directors dismissed the rosh yeshiva and sought to merge the yeshiva with Rabbi Yitzhak Neria's 'Torah BeTzion' yeshiva. The founders, who had not been involved in its management for many years, opposed the dismissal. In September 2019, the Supreme Court returned the question of the identity of the association members who would decide the yeshiva's future to the District Court for further clarification. In January 2022, the Supreme Court definitively ruled that control of the yeshiva would be held by the rosh yeshiva and the association's founders. The yeshiva closed following the dispute, but in September 2022 it reopened as a 'Jerusalem beit midrash for post-army students — Beit Orot,' headed by Rabbi Chen Chalmish and Rabbi Elchanan Ben-Nun. The Torat HaMedina institute initially operated from within the yeshiva. Today, the yeshiva continues to operate under Rabbi Chen Chalmish, offering Torah study, community volunteering, and educational programs, with a strong connection to the Mount of Olives and the Hebrew University.

• Building constructed by Hilde Anderson, named 'The Swedish Nest of Jerusalem'

• Hilde Anderson killed by a sniper's bullet

• Property purchased by Erwin Moskowitz

• Students begin studies after four years of renovations

• Rabbi Elon leaves to serve in the Knesset

• Minister Avigdor Lieberman orders connection to Israel's national electricity grid

• Jerusalem Municipality approves construction of four additional buildings

• Cornerstone-laying ceremony for new buildings, attended by Mike Huckabee

• Residential neighborhood inaugurated; conflict erupts between founders and board

• Supreme Court returns case to District Court for further clarification

• Supreme Court rules control to rest with rosh yeshiva and founders

• Yeshiva reopens as 'Jerusalem beit midrash for post-army students — Beit Orot'

Religious Zionist hesder yeshiva combining Torah study, military service, and community outreach on the Mount of Olives.

• Hesder yeshiva program

  Combines advanced Torah study with shortened military service.

• Torat HaMedina program

  Founded in 2015, focuses on the Torah-based vision of the State of Israel and practical policy development.

• Teaching institute

  A program for training teachers.

• Rabbinic kollel

  Advanced study program for rabbinic ordination.

• Community volunteering

  Includes tutoring teenagers in the French Hill neighborhood and dialogue programs with secular youth.

1. 1Beit Orot - Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2ישיבת בית אורות - Hebrew Wikipediahe.wikipedia.org