Yeshiva Darchei Torah is a private Orthodox Jewish boys' school in Far Rockaway, Queens, New York, United States.[1]
The yeshiva was founded by Rabbi Yisroel Bloom[2] and is headed by Rabbi Yaakov Bender,[3] an award-winning educator.[4]
There are parents who graduated from it on the board of directors.The Yeshiva celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2023.
The school had 1,400 students in 2008[5] which later grew to over 2,500 enrolled students in pre-kindergarten through post-high school seminary.[6] [7]
On May 16, 2018, United States Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos became the first high-profile federal government official to visit a yeshiva, which was a two-day visit to Yeshiva Darchei Torah and to another school, a girls’ high school in Manhattan, called Manhattan High School for Girls. The visit was organized by the Agudath Israel of America organization.
In May 2024, Darchei Torah began construction on a new, 94,000-square-foot set of buildings that will include its first state-of-the-art residence hall, a new beis medrash (study hall) for its high school, and 15 classrooms.[8]
The school's lower grades have grade-appropriate studies for both religious and secular subjects, supplemented by a library and a schoolwide literacy program.[9] While most students benefit from the school's STEM offerings,[9] Darchei's "policy of inclusion for some special-needs children"[1] makes its special education wing an important component.[9]
Although the high school curriculum offers nine Advanced Placement classes and Regents exams,[1] it also has "a vocational program for students who are struggling in a traditional academic program."
In June 2019, United States Ambassador to Israel David M. Friedman toured the yeshiva campus, including the Weiss Vocational Center, which had him in awe: "If I were still in yeshiva, I would be running to this very special and educational program, it's really a special thing and a big Kiddush Hashem".[10]
The upper grade unit, which is named Mesivta Chaim Shlomo of Yeshiva Darchei Torah, encourages its students to participate in the science competition that is a part of the Center for Initiatives in Jewish Education[11] (CJIE).[12]
The school also comprises a post-high school rabbinical college, Beis Medrash Heichal Dovid, and a postgraduate kollel, Kollel Tirtza Devorah, for married scholars.
Despite the school's Ashkenaz orientation,[1] it serves a growing population of Sephardic families as well, offers a weekly Sephardic minyan (prayer service), and hosts annual visits of a Sephardic rabbi,[13] [14] [15] Yaakov Moshe Hillel, who has been visiting Darchei since 2004.[13]
There are other (out of state) institutions using the name Darchei.[16] [17] [18] [19] [20]
The words Darchei Torah mean "Paths of Torah."