Yeshiva Chachmei Lev is located in the Kiryat Yovel neighborhood of Yerushalayim, a school that is perhaps representative of the new trend, offering those who do not wish to remain in beis medrash all day an alternative. In this high school the talmidim maintain their chareidi identity but they will graduate will a full bagrut matriculation exam. Some will enter the IDF as well.

Channel 2 correspondent Dana Weiss gives us an inside look at the yeshiva and the rabbonim who boldly stand behind the school amid the awareness there is a large number of youths who wish to remain chareidim without being compelled to sit and learn all day to the exclusion of all secular subjects.

The school currently numbers 60 talmidim and it is an uphill battle for the chareidim of Kiryat Yovel do not want them as is the case in other frum neighborhoods. Neighbors fear that the presence of the school will attract others but as Rabbi Betzalel Cohen explains, the needs for such schools exists and it is time to come to terms with this.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)