Yeshiva Crisis on Rise
'Drop-Out' Crisis in Yeshivot Threatens Haredi World
Leading rabbis warn of a growing crisis in Israeli yeshivas where students remain enrolled but face spiritual decline. New approaches focusing on personal attention are being advocated.
A major warning has been issued by Rabbi Yosef Hariss, Head of Yeshivat "Netivot HaTorah," regarding a significant number of students in Israel's large Yeshivot who are at high risk of spiritual deterioration while remaining physically enrolled. This "hidden drop-out" crisis, detailed in Kikar HaShabbat, stems from the inability of average students to thrive in institutions built for the talented and the highly diligent.
The Heart of the Crisis
Rabbi Hariss shared a conversation with a student on Jaffa Street, who was formally enrolled but felt completely lost, stating:
"Rabbi, I am not even there; I am in a completely different place... Let me enjoy life, release everything, and be done with it." The student confessed that online, at least, he felt "worth something."
This crisis primarily affects the average students, the largest group, who lack the talent to draw a teacher’s attention or the discipline to study for hours. They are easily overlooked in the massive, atmosphere-driven Yeshivot of the modern era. Feeling isolated and lacking spiritual fulfillment, they turn to smartphones and social media, leading to internal conflict and eventual spiritual abandonment.
Personal Attention is Key
Rabbi Hariss emphasizes that the problem is structural and requires intervention from both institutions and parents:
Leading Rabbis, including Rabbi Yehoshua Eichenstein, affirmed that "personal attention and nurturing" are the only effective defenses against this challenge in the rapidly growing Haredi world.