A Guide To Yeshivot

Eva writes: Peakskille and Riverdale: quote and quote has a good name- which is only believed by the people who go there. Extremely elitist snotty yeshiva- it’s mostly wealthy people who are wannabe yeshivish. You can see these boys all over town when they come home for sukkos and pesach. They talk really loudly in yeshivish jargon with their hats on slanted and their arms out of their jackets for a cool look. They’re either in Smart and Final or Cafe Elite. Derech Chayim- Mainstream yeshivish yeshiva for boys who are not necessarily brilliant, but still nice. Chayim Berlin- Mainstream yeshiva with huge eclectic mix of boys who go there. There still is the stereotype of a Chayim Berlin boy, but anyone can go there. Kol Torah- Half American and half Israeli. It’s in Bayit Vegan. The boys do whatever they want and as long as they’re learning no one cares. They follow the Israeli school of no bureacrecy- so they won’t follow any directions anyways. Passaic- just a regular yeshiva, acceptances are totally random so how it is probably depends on the years you’re there. Ponoviezh- It’s in Benei Brak in Israel. Anyone who can pass the entrance test can get in. It has a name of brilliance, but if you study hard enough you’ll get in, meaning the people there want to go there. Real amazing yeshiva because if you’re there you have the name of brilliance and can still do whatever you want. I know because I watched a DVD with a boy from Ponoviezh who by the way was not a rebel. Right now there’s a lot of politics there because no one knows whose going to take over and the boys there like making a lot of noise about it and having a fun time getting involved. Brisk- these boys are very halachic. They follow a certain specific mehalach of how to do things. I’m not sure but it might be the way of the Vilna Gaon- I know Chayim Berlin is also very into following the Vilna Gaon’s derech. It has a name of boys who are very serious about learning. Goldish- The first year started out a good year with only fine students, but then the rosh yeshiva decided that he doesn’t want to be elitist and he wants to accept everyone. Over the next years he started accepting frankies- slang for Sephardic boys who wear tight pants and have no class. Goldish is a yeshiva where all the boys love it there and there still are a few brilliant boys there from the first year who are not into good names and decided to stay. Mikdash Melech- The boys are absolutely everywhere- meaning everywhere but in yeshiva. You see them walking all around Bayit Vegan with their hockey sticks. Mikdash Melech is a Sephardic yeshiva which is also one year post high school and also a regular yeshiva. This is the only yeshiva where everyone is welcome- you have completely irreligious kids with very yeshivish kids in the same yeshiva. Bridgeport- It moved from Monsey to Bridgeport, Conneticut. The Rosh Yeshiva is originally from L.A. and is still very young and involved with the boys, e.g. he plays basketball with them. Chilled out yeshivish yeshiva.