A Vision of Over 60 Years

64 years ago, in 1961, a young talmid chochom, Harav Yissachar Meyer, zt”l, arrived in the small town of Netivot, north-west of Beer Sheva, that had been established just 5 years earlier. At that time its population was 2000-3000. Rav Yissachar Meyer had a singular vision, one of kedusha and kvod shomayim, to turn Netivot into an Ir Torah (Torah City) of choice for avreichim and talmidei chachamim from across Eretz Yisrael to make their homes and to put down firm roots.  

With just 12 talmidim in a ramshackle tzrif (shack) Rav Yissachar Meyer began his life’s work – Yeshivat Hanegev – and laid the foundation for his eternal legacy. All who met him were captivated by his sincerity, his warmth and his scholarship. He was a Torah-true father figure to the entire community in Netivot. The Yeshiva grew steadily and within a few years grew to some 300 bochurim. It soon developed a reputation as a ‘serious mokom Torah’ and attracted top students from Israel and abroad. 

Tzaddikim and Gedolei Torah came to Netivot to live and to teach at Yeshivat Hanegev. These included: Hatzaddik v’Hagadol Harav Reuven Yosef Gershonowitz, zt”l, the Siftei Chaim, Harav Hagadol Chaim Friedlander. In time, kollelim and other yeshivos opened as well as chadorim and girls’ schools, all learning ‘al taharas hakodesh’.  


A Cornerstone of Hope and Conviction

Recently there was a gathering of Gedolei Torah in the city of Netivot in the South. (In 2000 it was accorded city status.) Netivot had been witness to the horrors of the aftermath of October 7 massacre at the Gaza border with terrorists being halted at the city limits and parts of rockets and missiles crashing down in the city.

Amidst this whole confrontation, one man was galvanized into action – Hagaon Harav Aharon Assayag. His wife’s family are veteran residents of Netivot, and Rav Aharon was already a builder of Torah institutions in Netivot. Among them are a kollel, a yeshiva, a cheder and a girls’ school.  He saw the fear in people’s eyes, he felt their anxiety and the seeds of despair that was engulfing so many. 

With this, Rav Aaron made a major decision. This was the time to adopt and adapt the vision of his rebbe, the late Rav Yissachar Meyer, and to fully establish Netivot as the dynamic and vibrant Torah City of the South. It would serve as the catalyst for the spreading of Torah across the South and beyond, similar to the impact of Lakewood in New Jersey and across America! He would ensure that, even in the short-term, hundreds of frum families will be able to be accommodated and acquire permanent homes and more Torah institutions will be established!

Rav Aharon galvanized people in Israel and abroad to assist in this magnificent vision and to make it happen. He would spearhead the construction of complexes of residential buildings to house thousands of avreichim metzuyonim and their families around outstanding Torah institutions. He spoke to many people and shared his dream. 

Recently, Gedolei Torah, Roshei Yeshiva, avreichim, bochurim and many others gathered to participate in the laying of the cornerstone for Kiryat Beit Halevi and Ramot Meir in Netivot. 


In the words of Harav Aharon Assayag


Welcome in the name of Hashem to this gathering to lay the cornerstone of Kityat Beit Halevi, and a special brocho to those precious people who have already acquired homes here in the new yeshiva world. Zeh hayom assa Hashem… This is the day that Hashem has made, we shall rejoice and be happy in it.

The events of the last year and a half are so clear to us all that yad Hashem played a central role, and therefore, today as we rejoice it is in Him and His redemption that we rejoice. 

… We are making an amazing and very broad effort that within 5 years, some 4000 of the best avreichim from yeshivos nationwide will come to live in Netivot and will have an incredible impact on the city. Netivot will change from having an important Torah community to becoming the Torah city of the South. In turn, this will have a major impact on the Torah communities and kvod shamayim of the South.

… The askanim who are monitoring and arranging the allocation of the apartments, some of whom are present here today, are convinced that in time, 70% of the young families of the religious community in North and Center of the country will come to live in the south. This is in line with the 70% of planned government backing for building accommodation in 6 cities here in the South – of which Netivot is one. 

… People should be aware that the ‘street’ is not hefker.  Even prior to the anticipated expansion and introduction of many more Torah institutions, the streets are shmurim (guarded). A visitor to our city can go from one end to the other, will see streets that pulsate with holiness and cleanliness of over 1000 avreichim and hundreds of elementary Tashb”ar boys and Bais Yaakov girls.

… Streets where tznius is observed – fitting for bnei Torah and bnos Yaakov. 

… Streets where inappropriate media and technology has no place

The laying of the cornerstone for Kiryat Beit Halevi and Ramot Meyer, which is named after Rabbeinu Harav Yissachar – an expansion of the older and settled community, which at present has 1500 apartments for the frum community, and there is currently planning for, literally, thousands of apartments.

Rabbeinu Harav Yissachar whose yahrzeit is today, came to Netivot with a great vision. He had no partners or believers in his quest. However,  he succeeded with his great determination to bring about a revolution of Torah in the Netivot and all the communities of the south and from his spirit, we are inspired to go forward today.

Rabbeinu Hagadol the Rosh Hayeshiva and Gedolei Yisrael, who are able to observe in depth and see from afar, have come to participate in this great event. With their discerning eyes, they perceive the significant change brought about through Kiryat Beit Halevi and they came to express their commitment and faith in the great project. 


 With great excitement, thousands came to this historical gathering in anticipation of Netivot developing into Ir Hatorah of the South. Building has already begun and avreichim are already acquiring apartments and to make Netivot their home. Bus after bus arrived from all over – Yerushalayim, Modiin Illit, Bnei Brak, Beit Shemesh, etc. It was noted that the gathering was taking place on the yahrzeit of Harav Yissachar Meyer, the legendary Rosh Yeshiva in Netivot whose vision was being fulfilled. His influence was and continues to be felt throughout the South. 


From the Dais

Warm words and praise were offered by Torah leaders from the Moetzes Gedolei Torah. They included Hagaonim Hagedolim, shlit”a: Maran Harav Moshe Hillel Hirsh (Guest Speaker), Harav Aryeh Levi, Harav Aviezer Filetz, Harav Chaim Peretz Berman, Harav David Miller, Harav Yosef Kalatsky, Harav Meir Kessler, Harav Shmuel Montag, Harav Sholom Ber Sorotzkin.
At the gathering thousands participated, among them hundreds of young avreichim who are looking to base their spiritual and material homes in the new neighborhood


Letter From Maran Dov Lando, shlit”a

A high point of the gathering was when Rav Assayag invited Rabbi Kalatsky to read out the letter from Rabbeinu Maran  Hagaon Hagadol Harav Dov Lando, shlit”a. Rav Lando had given him the letter when Rav Kalatsky visited with him the previous week.

“… It is clear that through their Torah learning they protected all around them in the terrible days and tragedies that took place recently.

“It is both a zchus and an obligation to guard the Torah and the character of this place … and even if there are such challenges or others, the obligation is for each individual to concern himself about the community, and to ensure that it will continue to be appropriate for bnei Torah.

“And now, by the laying the cornerstone for the Kiryat Beit Levi the boundaries are being extended to house hundreds of frum Torah families. And leaders and machzikei Torah led by Rabbi Aharon Assayag are enabling young avreichim to acquire apartments.

“May all the askanim in this lofty matter be blessed all good things…

Maran Harav Moshe Hillel Hirsh, shlit”a:

“May Hashem grant that this will grow to be the largest Torah center in the South – 

  a place of Bnei Torah, and from which should emanate great Kevod Shamayim.”

These were stirring words declared by “In the recent past, the South, boruch Hashem, withstood great and awful difficulties during this last war, and now Hashem gives us the challenge to complete all these buildings.

“We see how the vision of the Rav Hagadol Yissachar Meyer has come to fruition. This certainly is a cause for joy and kovod of Torah that all have come here today. Hashem will surely help more and more. My brocho is that Hashem should grant success and support for every step of the way. May this bring about the geulah shleimah, bimheira b’yameinu, amen.” 


Thousands Will Come to Settle

The gathering opened with an address by Rav Aharon Assayag motivator and facilitator of the entire project. (See box). He is the trusted man of the Gedolei Torah who are standing behind this great project. The goal is 10,000 living units for families of the avreichim.

Thereafter he invited the Guest of Honor from the USA, his ‘partner’ for many years in all the projects of Torah and Chesed, Rabbi Kalatsky, who has played a significant role in the current project, to commence the proceedings. Choking with emotion he said, “Hundreds of avreichim will come to Netivot and this will be a center of Torah, different from all others. Boruch Hashem, I have the zechus to be connected to Rabbi Assayag for many years, from the beginning, and I can testify about all the steps.Everything that has happened has been done quietly, modestly – everything done has been done in a way of purity. It all comes from tears, from the heart, from purity of holiness, and b’ezras Hashem this will succeed”.

The Founder Scroll

Hagaon Harav Shmuel Montag, Rav of the community, was called to read out the scroll of founding of the new neighborhood and the development of the Torah kingdom of the South in general, and Kiryat Beit Levi in particular. 

Rav Montag said, “At the gathering of laying the cornerstone for the new Kiryat Beit Levi in the Ramot Meyer neighborhood, named after Maran Rosh Hayeshiva, Hagaon Hagadol Harav Yissachar Meyer. He nurtured the growth of Torah across the South and had the brocha of Maran Rosh Hayeshiva, Hagaon Hagadol, Harav Gershon Edelstein. 

For developments in Netivot we had a meeting with Rav Gershon together with the Rosh Yeshiva, Harav Aryeh Levi and Rav Assayag, and the establishment of Kiryat Beit Levi was proclaimed. 


From Speakers at the Cornerstone
 A number of Geonim Gedolim and Talmidei Chachamim, shlit”a, addressed the gathering expressing their support and admiration for this project lehagdil Torah u’l’ha’adirah:

Harav Sholom Ber Sorotzkin, Rosh Yeshiva Ateret Shlomo: We see here the incredible heavenly support as we stand at this gathering, and ‘see’ some 4000 families that will gather here and change the face of the city – because Torah is the only element that can change an entire city. If a community is united and ready to take upon itself some responsibility to go out and build a place of Torah, not only those who donate synagogues, but also those who come to pray. They, too, are considered founders of the place where they come to pray. 

Harav Chaim Peretz Berman, Rosh Yeshiva Ponevez, who has been very active in promoting the development of this new community said, “They are here to develop a place that is totally Torah, of the type where it says, in Pirkei Avos, I do not dwell in a place except one of Torah.” 

Harav David Miller, Rosh Yeshiva Ponevez, comes to Netivot every week to deliver shiurim to the avreichim said “All that was said today we know from personal experience and all the commitment involved to establish here in Netivot, a mokom Torah in the fullest sense of the word, and the foundation for it all already exists.”

Harav Meir Kessler, from Modi’in, was very encouraging about the establishment of this new place of Torah and said that many of the avreichim there are transferring to live in this new project. They feel that this kindhearted and advantageous option for avreichim to acquire their own home makes it a very holy endeavor. 

Hagaon Harav Aviezer Felitz, Rosh Yeshiva Shira – The gedolim who attended and saw the incredible development of this total community in Netivot, even prior to all the investment and the influx that is expected, have seen that hundreds of avreichimt were participating.

Hagaon Hagadol, Harav Aryeh Levi, Rosh Yeshivat Hanegev – The Yeshiva grew slowly. It was in a border and distant location, an area of its own. Over time the neighborhood increased, and slowly, slowly Torah institutions were established. When Rav Assayag came, aside from all his projects, he envisioned this great project. He doesn’t even realize the extent of the influence of Torah. Not in the narrow sense, but among an entire community and beyond.