Our Mission:
To enrich and grow the Cincinnati Jewish Community by creating an environment of Torah study and providing access to our spiritual heritage.
What We Do
Since 1995, the Kollel has dedicated itself to providing Jewish learning opportunities to every part of Cincinnati’s Jewish community. We offer beginner-level courses in Judaism and Jewish philosophy, as well as more advanced classes. Although we come to venues as diverse as synagogues, office buildings, college campuses, and social halls, most of our activities take place in our main building (pictured above). There we have established a beis midrash (literally, a “house of study”), where our staff and other members of the community drink from the fountain of Torah knowledge. We like to think of them as cups being filled with wine. As the cups fill and overflow, the sweetness of Torah pours out and spreads into the community around them.
What is a Kollel, anyway?
The word “kollel” is related to the Hebrew word k’lal, which means a community or group. A kollel is a place where men (typically married) devote themselves full-time to the study of Torah. There have always been kollelim (the plural of “kollel”) in major Jewish communities (New York and Jerusalem, for example). In recent years a movement has begun in which smaller Jewish communities are opening kollelim, as well. These “community kollelim” are more than just places where young scholars meet and study. They are community institutions that are bringing Jews of all backgrounds closer to their common heritage.
Our Staff
Our staff currently consists of two directors (“Roshei Kollel”), five scholars-in-residence, two outreach professionals, and an administrator. To learn more about our staff members, past and present, check out our Staff Bios and Alumni Bios.