Mercaz HaRav

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Mercaz HaRav (מרכז הרב, lit. The Rav Centre), also known as Yeshivat Mercaz HaRav, is a Hardal yeshiva situated in Jerusalem, Israel. The yeshiva was founded in 1924 by Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, and was initially headed by Rabbi Aharon Bronstein, the Ilui of Tebrig. It is commonly regarded as the flagship of national-religious yeshivas.

Mercaz HaRav has become synonymous with the teachings of "Rav Kook." It has played an important role in this field: the educational system of the national-religious camp, from elementary schools to girls’ high schools to hesder yeshivot, is staffed by educators who attended the yeshiva or who look to it for spiritual guidance. It is not a Hesder Yeshiva, students do not do regular military service. Some students do a much- shortened stint in the IDF when they are well into their twenties.

Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook's son, Rabbi Zvi Yehuda Kook, took up the position of Rosh Yeshiva several years after his death. In 1982, after Rabbi Zvi Yehuda Kook died, Rabbi Avraham Shapira took the position and led the institution until his death in 2007. His son, Rabbi Yaakov Shapira, was his successor. Today, the yeshiva has about 500 students, including 200 students in the yeshiva's kollel (post-graduate division).

In 1964 a Yeshiva High-School (ישל"צ, ישיבת ירושלים לצעירים) was founded in close proximity. It has also become a flagship institution.

Notable alumni

The list includes a number of Knesset members and community leaders.

Rabbi Rabbi Shlomo Aviner
Rabbi Yaakov Ariel
Rabbi Yoel Bin-Nun
Azriel Carlebach, founder of the Maariv newspaper.
Rabbi Zfania Drori
Rabbi Haim Druckman
Rabbi Moshe Levinger founder of post-1967 Hebron Jewish community.
Hanan Porat
David Raziel, an Irgun commander.
Michel Warschawski (aka Mikado) the left-wing activist and author; co-founder of the Alternative Information Center

Shooting incident

On the night of March 6, 2008, a single gunman, a Palestinian resident of East Jerusalem, infiltrated the yeshiva and began firing at students, killing eight and wounding at least 15 others before he was killed by a part-time student of the Yeshiva and an off-duty soldier of the Israeli Defense Forces, Yitzhak Dadon.

The victims were students aged from 15 to 26 years old. They were identified as:

Yohai Lifshitz, 18, from Jerusalem
Yonatan Yitzhak Eldar, 16, from Shilo
Yonadav Haim Hirschfeld, 19, from Kokhav HaShahar
Neria Cohen, 15, also from Jerusalem,
Segev Peniel Avihail, 15, from Neve Daniel,
Avraham David Moses, 16, from Efrat,
Roee Roth, 18, from Elkana
Doron Meherete, 26, from Ashdod.

References

External links

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Last updated on Thursday March 13, 2008 at 09:01:48 PDT (GMT -0700)
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