The Institute for Advanced Judaic Studies is a Canadian Orthodox Jewish yeshiva. It is accredited by the Ontario Ministry of Education as a private university and has sovereignty to award bachelor's, master's, and doctorate degrees in Talmudic law and Judaic studies.
History
In 1970 a group of ten families from the BMG Institute for Advanced Learning of Lakewood, New Jersey moved to Toronto and founded the Toronto Kollel. The founders include Rav Shlomo Eliyahu Miller, the Rosh Kollel of the Kollel Avreichim Institute for Advanced Judaic Studies in Toronto, and head of its Beis Din (rabbinical court) and Rav Yaakov Hirschman.
Known previously as the Institute for Advanced Talmudic Study - Kollel Avreichim, it was incorporated by letters patent dated October 9, 1970, as an institution of higher learning in theology, religious education, scholarship, and research.
Mission
to provide post-secondary training programs in religious education and research in higher Jewish learning for rabbis, teachers, and educators; to develop the devotional and spiritual life of its students; to encourage its students to develop a mastery of the content of the Bible, Judaic theology, Talmudic law, and legal codes.
Facility
The building houses the 3,000-square-foot Bais Medrash, classrooms, three book libraries, a CD library, two computer online libraries, the Bar Ilan computer resource library, the Kol Halashon online Lecture library, meeting rooms, a kitchen, and a dining room.
The Ladies Auxiliary maintains the Weinstock Memorial Library which is open to the public and runs a series of community lectures.
The New Campus
During the 50th Anniversary Dinner (which took place on November 28, 2022, at The Embassy Grand Convention Center), The Chairman Mr. Ben Friedman Toronto, announced the purchase of a new apartment building located on Fraserwood Avenue, which will be named The Shimon Stern Residence. The new building will allow the institution to expand their scholars base and host new families who will join the Kollel in the future. In addition, Mr. Ben Friedman also presented a 3d rendering of the new Bais Medrash to be built on Coldstream Avenue. The new building will have more study halls, plenty of parking and a state of the art library.
Kollel Toronto
Kollel Toronto is an institution of learning consisting of a core group of scholars who are engaged in full-time Torah study at an advanced level—headed by Roshei Kollel, Rav Shlomo Miller שליט"א* and Rav Yaakov Hirschman שליט"א.
(שליט"א is pronounced "shehletah"; it is an acronym for שיחיה לימים טובים ארוכים, literally that he should live to good long days; used as an honorific after a living rabbi's name.)
Programs
diplomas and certificates
Bachelor of Judaics
Bachelor of Talmudic Law (BTL) Master of Judaics Master of Talmudic Law Doctor of Philosophy in Judaics Doctor of Philosophy in Talmudic Law
Notable alumni
Rabbis in Toronto
Rabbi Yacov Shalom Felder, Rabbi of Shomrei Shabbos Synagogue
Rabbi Mordechai Kanner, Cong. Heichal Kol Yaakov
Rabbi Uri Kaufman, Cong. Aguda South Anshe Kielce
Rabbi Chaim Dovid Kulik, Cong. Zichron Yitzchok
Rabbi Mitch Mandel, Director of Ohr Somayach, Jerusalem Toronto
Rabbi David Pam, Cong. Zichron Shneur
Rabbi Mordechai Scheiner, Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto
Rabbi Rafael Shmulewitz, Tiferes Bais Yaakov
Rabbi Yehuda Oppenheimer, Marlee Ave. Shul
Rabbi Aberbach, New York
Rabbi Blitz, Detroit, MI
Rabbi Davis, Founder of Yeshiva Gedola of Passaic
Rabbi Drillman, New York
Rabbi Fishman, Principal of Hebrew Academy of Cleveland
Rabbi Frankel, New York
Rabbi Fuerst, Lakewood, NJ
Rabbi Glezerman, Lakewood, NJ
Rabbi Gordon, New York
Rabbi Herskowitz, Lakewood, NJ
Rabbi Horowitz, Kiryat Sefer, Israel
Rabbi Jundef, Lakewood, NJ
Rabbi Kovitz, New York
Rabbi Kraminer, New York
Rabbi Kupfer, Executive Director of Gindi Maimonides Academy Los Angeles
Rabbi Marcus, Buffalo, New York List of Young Israel Synagogues#:~:text=Rabbi Eliezer Marcus Rabbi Muller, Kollel Avrohom Dovid, Monsey, NY Rabbi Nojovits, Lakewood, NJ Rabbi Plotnik, Bais Yaakov Lakewood Rabbi Rosen, Southfield, Michigan Rabbi Rubin, Queens, New York Rabbi Strassfeld, Englewood, NJ Rabbi Sauer, New York Rabbi Sekula, Lakewood, NJ Rabbi Tanenbaum, Seattle, Washington Rabbi Weissman, Bene Berak, Israel Rabbi Weinberg, New York Rabbi Zuckerman, Detroit, MI