Hesder Yeshiva of Sderot
Encyclopedia
The Hesder
Yeshiva of Sderot, known formally as the Max and Ruth Schwartz Yeshivat Hesder of Sderot was founded in 1994 by Rabbi Dovid Fendel.http://www.sderot.org/template.php?section=EFC The yeshiva
is located in the town of Sderot
, one kilometer from the Gaza Strip
and the Palestinian Arab town of Beit Hanoun
. It is one of the largest Hesder Yeshivot in all of Israel, with a student body of over 500 pupils from communities all over the country. In addition to studying, students demonstrate their commitment to the residents of Sderot through many volunteer projects.
After the beginning of the Second Intifada in October 2000, the city has been under constant rocket fire from Qassam rockets launched by Hamas
and Islamic Jihad
. This brought attention to the yeshiva, which was rebuilt in a series of rocket-proof buildings. In 2009 the yeshiva created a Chanukah menorah
out of the spent shells of rockets fired at Sderot form Gaza.
Hesder
Hesder is an Israeli yeshiva program which combines advanced Talmudic studies with military service in the Israel Defense Forces, usually within a Religious Zionist framework...
Yeshiva of Sderot, known formally as the Max and Ruth Schwartz Yeshivat Hesder of Sderot was founded in 1994 by Rabbi Dovid Fendel.http://www.sderot.org/template.php?section=EFC The yeshiva
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...
is located in the town of Sderot
Sderot
Sderot is a western Negev city in the Southern District of Israel. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , at the end of 2009 the city had a total population of 20,700. The city has been an ongoing target of Qassam rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip...
, one kilometer from the Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
and the Palestinian Arab town of Beit Hanoun
Beit Hanoun
Beit Hanoun is a city on the north-east edge of the Gaza Strip. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the town had a population of 32,187 in mid-year 2006. It is administered by the Palestinian Authority...
. It is one of the largest Hesder Yeshivot in all of Israel, with a student body of over 500 pupils from communities all over the country. In addition to studying, students demonstrate their commitment to the residents of Sderot through many volunteer projects.
After the beginning of the Second Intifada in October 2000, the city has been under constant rocket fire from Qassam rockets launched by Hamas
Hamas
Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
and Islamic Jihad
Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine
The Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine known in the West as simply Palestinian Islamic Jihad , is a small Palestinian militant organization. The group has been labelled as a terrorist group by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, Australia and Israel...
. This brought attention to the yeshiva, which was rebuilt in a series of rocket-proof buildings. In 2009 the yeshiva created a Chanukah menorah
Menorah
The menorah is described in the Bible as the seven-branched ancient lampstand made of gold and used in the portable sanctuary set up by Moses in the wilderness and later in the Temple in Jerusalem. Fresh olive oil of the purest quality was burned daily to light its lamps...
out of the spent shells of rockets fired at Sderot form Gaza.