About the Diaspora Yeshiva
The Campus on Mount Zion, Jerusalem
The Diaspora Yeshiva Campus
The Diaspora Yeshiva is a powerful Torah center where young Jewish men of all backgrounds can attain to the most exalted levels available to man—a vibrant, dynamic environment dedicated to cultivating excellence.
Our campus on Mount Zion, Jerusalem, at the center of which is the Tomb of King David, includes a number of study halls, dining and event halls, a sports and event pavilion overlooking the Temple Mount, and dormitories for Israeli and international students. The main study hall for international students sits atop the original holocaust memorial to this day.
Main International Study Hall
Since the early days of the Diaspora Yeshiva, following the Six Day War, this picturesque, centuries-old building on Mount Zion, which was formerly home to the Beis Din of Jerusalem, has served as the Yeshiva’s main study hall for its students from the Diaspora, just minutes from the Kotel.
With the War of Independence, due to the threat of Jordanian sniper fire from within the walls of the Old City, the Beis Din was forced to relocate, but Mount Zion nevertheless remained in Jewish hands. In those days, it was the closest the Jewish people could get to the Temple Mount, and therefore a place where many ascended to pray. It was also at that time, in 1949, that the Martef HaShoah (Chamber of the Holocaust) was established by Rabbi Dr. Shmuel Z. Kahane on the lower level of the building, where the ashes of many who were murdered in the Holocaust were laid to rest—just 20 meters from the Tomb of King David.
After the Six Day War, in 1967 — when the Old City was in Israeli hands, and there was no longer a threat of Jordanian sniper fire — the main study hall of the Diaspora Yeshiva was established above the Martef, so that the souls of those who were murdered in the Holocaust might be elevated by the learning and prayers of the Yeshiva’s Rabbis and students.
Martef HaShoah (Chamber of the Holocaust)
From its inception in 1949, the Chamber of the Holocaust has been the primary place for Holocaust survivors to assemble with their families on the anniversary of the destruction of their communities, to remember and reflect, to light candles, and to say kaddish and elevate the souls of those who were murdered by the Nazis and denied proper burial.
Kever David HaMelech (The Tomb of King David)
At the heart of Mount Zion, Jerusalem, just 20 meters from the main international study hall of the Diaspora Yeshiva, stands an ancient building recognized by many as the location of the Tomb of King David. Each year, the site attracts millions of visitors from around the world, Jew and non-Jew alike. Every week, in addition to important dates on the Jewish calendar, such as Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, Diaspora Yeshiva students assemble here to learn and pray in the memory and merit of King David.
