FACTS
The Top Ten Facts You Should Know About Rambam Mesivta:
- Who are we?
- Who are our students?
- How are we different?
- What is our track record?
- Who are our rebbeim and teachers?
- What is the program of study?
- What extra-curricular activities do we offer?
- What is the tuition?
- What transportation is available?
- What is the application process?
We are a yeshiva high school for boys that offers an educational program with a proven track record of success year after year. We are more than just a school; we prepare young men to live their lives as modern Torah Jews in an increasingly challenging world. We were established in 1991 and have since graduated hundreds of students. Substantially all of our students continue their Torah studies post-high school at leading yeshivot Eretz Yisrael following which they study in college and thereafter, in many cases, in graduate and professional schools. Our administration is headed by two outstanding and widely-recognized educators and Jewish leaders. Rabbi Zev Meir Friedman, the Rosh HaMesivta, has over thirty years of experience in chinuch and is the visionary behind our unique program of Jewish activism and political awareness. Rabbi Yotav Eliach, our Principal, has over 20 years of experience in educational administration and is a sought-after expert and lecturer on Israel, Zionism and the Middle East.
We have a merit-based admissions policy, which means that we seek out serious, motivated students whom we believe will benefit the most from, and contribute the most to, our program. We care about grades but much more about attitude. Our incoming freshman class is usually comprised of 40-50 students. Our students typically come from a dozen or more yeshivot ketanot from Long Island, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and from out of town. Most come to us looking to be challenged intellectually and inspired spiritually as well as to experience a new, liberating social environment. We strongly encourage diversity among our student population, and therefore have students with black hats as well as kippot srugot, ashkenazim and sfaradim.
All yeshiva high schools offer programs in Limudei Kodesh and academics. But here is where we differ:
We are a small school - by design. Education is not like a business where the bigger you are, the better you are. In a big institution, students fall between the cracks and do not get individual attention. In a small school everybody counts. A small school is a warm school.
We have a unique chevra. We do not have a feeder school so all incoming students start off on the same footing. We have no "insiders" and "outsiders". Our merit-based admissions policy ensures that all students are screened by professional educators for both midot and academic performance. We accept no compromises when it comes to the quality of our student body.
We teach students to think independently. Both our Limudei Kodesh and academic programs emphasize independent research, conceptualization, articulation and presentation skills. Our Limudei Kodesh program is founded upon the highly analytical and conceptual Brisker Derekh popularized by "the Rav," HaRav HaGaon Joseph B. Soloveichik, zt"l. The Rav’s brother, HaRav HaGaon Aharon Soloveitchik zt"l, served for many years as the head of our Va’ad HaChinuch and gave weekly shiurim to our Junior and Senior talmidim.
We teach what matters. All schools teach "stuff", but we also inculcate our students with core Jewish values. These include:
- Ahavat Eretz Yisrael, an understanding of the history, geography, politics and language of the State of Israel and the centrality of Eretz Yisrael to us as Torah Jews. Our program includes courses on Zionism, the history of anti-semitism, news and media monitoring and special school-wide programs to mark special dates and events like Yom HaZikaron and Yom Yerushalayim. Our goal is to produce graduates who can act effectively as spokesmen and ambassadors for Israel and the Jewish people on campuses and in the workplace.
- Ahavat Yisrael, the unique connection that we share with all Jews. It obligates us to act whenever Jews are threatened or in danger. It requires us to love and reach out to our brethren, including those with whom we may disagree profoundly on religious or political grounds.
- Kavod HaBriyot, the notion that all people count. As Torah Jews, we owe a duty of dignity and respect to every person, strong and weak, rich and poor, Jew and non-Jew. Kavod HaBriyot is the core notion underlying the Jewish notion of chessed.
- Tzniyut. Personal modesty and temperance in dress, speech, lifestyle and conduct are obligations incumbent upon all Torah Jews, male and female. Sobriety, not ostentatiousness, is the preferred standard for the Torah Jew.
- Yosher. Integrity. Jews should live their lives in accordance with the values that they profess. Hypocrisy undercuts the system of Torah values and can result in Chilul Hashem.
- Hakarat HaTov to America, a medinat chessed, for all that it has done for us, as Jewish Americans, and for the State of Israel. As Torah Jews, we must respect this country’s institutions, leaders and laws, publicly acknowledge our community’s debt to this country, and be actively involved in its political processes.
We view Torah as a mission to the world. Our goal is to produce boys who relate to the world as proud Jews. That means not only practicing a Torah-true life in private or at home, but also carrying the message of Torah into college, graduate school, and into the workplace. An important focus of our Limudei Kodesh program is therefore to enable our students to articulate why they believe and practice what they do in a way that will command respect from the listener, Jew or non-Jew. We seek to prepare them to confront the spiritual as well as the professional challenges of America’s modern secular society.
We build character and leadership. We teach our students the lesson of Amalek - that evil must be confronted. It must be confronted with deeds, not just with words. Our program of Jewish activism demonstrates to our students how they can practically make a difference in the political arena, how they can effectively employ the electronic media and the press, how to communicate respectfully and responsibly with elected officials. It also equips them with critical organizational, articulation and presentation skills.
We are educational innovators. Almost every year we introduce new and challenging educational and enrichment ideas and programs, some of which involve cooperative efforts with universities and university educators. We also arrange for unique experiential programs as part of our Jewish activism and Zionism efforts. We devote significant financial and creative resources to these efforts. Among the unique programs we have currently offer are an innovative freshman Beit Medrash program, the Kol Yosef "Law Review", weekly college-level shiurim with college rebbeim, a college-level study skills course offered to freshmen and sophomores, a proprietary in-house SAT preparatory program, freshman year diagnostic testing and monitoring, Project Mitnadvim service on Israeli military basis or in hospital wards, and the Write-On ambassadors for Israel program.
We have a proven track record of success. Truly gifted students will produce extraordinary results wherever they go to school. However, year in and year out, our student body achieves above-average results (see below). We don’t just promise results - we deliver them, year after year.
Limudei Kodesh
- Substantially all of our talmidim attend Yeshivot Gedolot post-high school, over 90% in Yeshivot Eretz Yisrael.
- Our talmidim attend the leading Yeshivot Eretz Yisrael, including Yeshivot Hesder such as Gush, KBY and Shaalvim, as well as "Shana Bet" institutions such as Derekh HaTalmud (Rav Ilson), TOMO (Toras Moshe) and Mir.
Academics
- Our students consistently produce scores on standardized tests (NYS Regents, PSAT, SAT I, SAT II, Advanced Placements) that are above average when compared to their peers at other schools, day schools and yeshiva high schools;
- Our graduates typically attend Brooklyn College, Columbia University, Cornell, Queens (Honors) and Yeshiva University. Our 2002 graduating class included graduates accepted to Harvard and Yale. A large number of our earlier graduates are pursuing or have received professional degrees in medicine and the law.
- Our graduates typically receive significant scholarships and financial awards from the colleges of their choice.
Middle States Accreditation.
We hold the prestigious Middle States Accreditation which cites us for:
- "a comprehensive, synthesized Judaic and secular studies program that consistently supports its philosophy and goals in a warm and caring environment"
- "foster[ing] in [our] students the desire to incorporate the teachings of the school into their daily lives in the present and in the future"
- "imbue[ing] in [our] students a love of Israel, its people and humanity as a whole"
What others say about us:
- Yeshiva University: Rambam has a "long history of academic excellence evidenced by Rambam graduates ...Rambam nourishes leadership qualities ...A Rambam student is a truly well-rounded Ben Torah ..."
- Yeshivat Kerem B’Yavneh: "It is rare to find students like these, with textual and analytical skills, organized and independent, fluent in Torah ..."
WHO ARE OUR REBBEIM AND TEACHERS?
Our staff includes rebbeim and Beit Medrash assistants. Our rebbeim have many years of chinuch experience. All have college degrees; a number also hold professional degrees in medicine or in law. Our program also includes visits to Gedolim and visits by community and guest Rabbanim.
Our academic staff includes experience and commited teachers, many of whom are or have served as department chairman in the public school system. All have at least a Master’s Degree. Many are also college instructors.
We offer a full program of Limudei Kodesh and academic studies. The Limudei Kodesh program includes shiur (b’Iyun and b’kiyut), Beit Medrash, Halakha, Tanach, Mishmar, Shabbatonim. The academic studies program includes all NYS Regents required courses, including a 4-year math and science and 2-years computers requirement, and a rich array of honors courses, AP courses, college credit courses and SAT II preparation. Our goal is to provide a program that is limited only by our students’ interests.
WHAT EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES DO WE OFFER?
We believe that competitive sports teach independent boys the value of interdependence. We view both winning and losing as important educational experiences. Accordingly, we actively encourage team sports, and host award-winning teams, including varsity and junior varsity basketball; varsity and junior varsity hockey; softball; chess; tennis; Torah Bowl; soccer; debating; and mock trial.
Because we are a small school, most students are able to participate in teams of their choice. We seek to have all of our students participate in these activities and encourage students to approach us with suggestions for additional extra-curricular programs.
Please call for current tuition fee but be assured that there is no building assessment and there are no other "hidden" fees or charges. We provide books and key seforim without charge.
We provide a generous, confidential and dignified program of tuition assistance. We do not turn away candidates because of an inability to pay the tuition.
WHAT TRANSPORTATION IS AVAILABLE?
District transportation is available without charge to Nassau County residents. We offer private transportation from Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island.
WHAT IS THE APPLICATION PROCESS?
Applicants should submit their applications (accompanied by a non-refundable $100 application fee) as soon as possible. Important application items to be included are a letter of recommendation from your son’s current Principal and your son’s grade transcripts. We will be unable to schedule an interview on the basis of an incomplete application.
Applicants should also sit for the BJE (Board of Jewish Education).. We evaluate BJE scores in light of each student’s particular academic background.
Interviews will be scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. We try to limit the incoming grade size to 40-50 students; the number of applicants typically far exceeds the number of available spaces. In accordance with the schedule established by the BJE, we will begin to mail notices of acceptance in February.