B”H
DA’AT – WHO ARE WE?
How did it all start?
The Da’at Institute was established in Rehovot in 1991 by Rabbi Yitzchak Arad, with the blessing and agreement of the Lubavitcher Rebbe MhM. Since then, we have been reaching out with the wellsprings of Torah learning and Chassidic teachings, as well as activities to help the community in various ways.
Lectures and Getaways
We have hosted Shabbatons and seminars, both at the Da’at center and in other pleasant locations, as well as regular lectures and lectures for special occasions, on topics such as Jewish psychology, emotional awareness, tools for healthy self-actualization, education, domestic harmony, and more.
In his lectures, Rabbi Arad succeeds in presenting deep and abstract concepts from the teachings of Chassidut, in a detailed and authentic manner, all in clear and modern terminology, which enables people to apply this knowledge in building a practical awareness in their lives.
Yeshivat Da’at
In the year 2000 Rabbi Arad founded a yeshiva for people with less background in Torah learning, situated in Rehovot. Hundreds of students have studied there over the years, which resulted in a change of lifestyle for them towards living and experiencing Torah and its precepts, and thus the Da’at circle of influence has grown significantly. The yeshiva has been a warm home to the many students and a place which helped them build a meaningful life and establish Torah-observant and Chassidic homes.
Many of the yeshiva graduates serve as mentors today and as emissaries of the Rebbe in Israel and abroad, while keeping a warm connection with Rabbi Arad and the yeshiva staff.
Yeshivat Da’at – Migdal Mordechai
Yeshivat-Da’at – Migdal Mordechai for youth was established three years ago. The yeshiva employs a unique Chassidic approach, based on Rabbi Arad’s methods of explaining Chassidut, developed over decades. The goal is to empower them to be Chassidim with a healthy approach.
The yeshiva staff has a warm, personal relationship with each student, an approach of consistency and healthy boundaries. As a result, it has been very successful.
There is much emphasis on the study of Halacha, including the fields of shechita, safrut, Tefillin maintenance, kashrut supervision, and more. The students receive both in-depth and practical study in these fields.
The physical conditions are very good, including plentiful, nutritious, and tasty meals. In addition, there are extra-curricular activities, such as swimming, horse-riding, and other age-appropriate fun and challenging activities.
Within the last two years, the yeshiva students embarked on inspiring trips to explore the roots of Chassidut in the Ukraine, at the resting places of some of the holy Rebbes.
The special approach of this yeshiva has aroused much interest in educational circles and many educators have come to visit the yeshiva and consult with Rabbi Arad, with the goal of applying his approach in more educational institutions.
Publications
The Da’at Institute publishes many different materials which make this special approach available to the public. Among them are the books: Reim Ahuvim, Lech Lecha, HaNefesh keMashal, VeHem Yevonenuhu, and various books of questions and answers. The Institute is working on additional lectures, which are soon to be published. Hundreds of lectures from the institute are circulated in different media.
Explanations of the Discourses of B’shaah Shehikdimu Taf-Ayin-Resh-Bet
In the year 2011, as part of preparation for the hundredth year since the initiation of the famous series of Chassidic discourses by Rabbi Shalom DovBer of Lubavitch, known as “Hemshech Ayin-Bet,” we began to publish books explaining these discourses. Thousands of people study them, Chabad Chassidim and other Jews from various walks of life. This unique project has published ten volumes to date.
Website
Rabbi Arad’s lectures are presented on the Institute’s website and new lectures are uploaded weekly, on topics such as education and emotional awareness according to Chassidut. There is a special section for questions and answers in Jewish law, as well as family dynamics and counseling on additional topics. The website fields questions from various parts of the world, in Hebrew, English, Russian, French, and Spanish.
Treatment & Counseling
The Da’at Institute provides psychological counseling according to the principles of Chassidut to the community at large. Many families have, thank G-d, been established and/or rehabilitated, many children have been set on track, and many people have been enabled to release emotional barriers and be freed of anxiety and depression.
Training Therapists and Coaches
The ‘Da’at and Tevuna’ Institute was established about a decade ago with the aim of honing and teaching a Chassidic approach to therapy and train professionals and mentors in the community to work with and treat people with this unique approach. Over the years, many have graduated from its programs and are applying these teachings in their professional and personal lives, as well as guiding others.
Looking to the Future
The various activities of the Institute require vast resources, and the need has only grown in the last three years since the Yeshivat Da’at – Migdal Mordechai was founded. Additional staff needed to be hired and many more expenses were added.
The aim of our campaign is to intensify, develop, and expand all the above-mentioned beneficial activities in a significant manner. We are building the generations of the future, spreading the wellsprings of Chassidut, and touching individuals, preparing the world for the imminent Redemption!
YOU HAVE THE PRIVILEGE AND THE ABILITY TO BE OUR PARTNERS!
