Beth Medrash Govoha (Hebrew: בית מדרש גבוה) is the largest Talmudical Academy in the United States and one of the largest in the world. A Haredi institution, it was founded in 1943 by Rabbi Aharon Kotler with 13 students in Lakewood Township, New Jersey where it remains. It is commonly known as Bais Medrash Govoha, BMG, or Lakewood Yeshiva. Its enrollment in 2009 exceeds 5500 students
he campus consists of four main buildings containing over eight study halls available and numerous residence halls.

The yeshiva is licensed by the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education and accredited by the Association of Advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic Schools. It is authorized to grant bachelor’s degrees and master’s degrees in Talmudics to those students who apply and qualify for the degrees, as well as a post-master’s certificate in Talmudic studies.

The yeshiva studies are based on classical Torah study traditions using the Talmud, Shulchan Aruch, responsa and rabbinic literature as texts and sources.

The daily schedule consists of three sedorim (or study sessions) plus daily prayers and meals. For each session there is usually a main limud’ (field/focus of study) based on the Talmud. However there also exists a system of chaburahs (group study) where 10-70 scholars form a chaburah (group) to study specific sub-texts within the Talmud and/or Shulchan Aruch.

Posted by Moishe Alexander