Kollels

Kollel is a term used in Orthodox Judaism to describe a yeshiva or study program for married men who study Torah full-time, with an emphasis on Talmud and rabbinic literature. A kollel typically operates as a post-yeshiva phase, where participants continue advanced study after completing basic yeshiva education. The head of the kollel, called the rosh kollel, and senior scholars supervise the fellows, who usually work in chavrutot (study pairs) and attend daily shiurim (lectures).

Most kollels are funded by philanthropists or community funds and provide stipends to participants to support full-time study. They may be affiliated with a local yeshiva, a synagogue, or operate as independent programs. Activities typically include morning and afternoon study sessions, nightly chavruta meetings, and occasional outreach or teaching to the broader community, such as adult education classes or lectures.

Types of kollels vary. “Kollel Elyon” or “advanced kollel” refers to the most senior group of scholars; there are also community kollels for outreach and education, as well as yeshiva-based kollels that integrate with the parent institution. Some communities run women’s programs modeled on the kollel framework, though these are distinct entities with different structures and goals.

Historically, the kollel movement developed in Eastern Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and spread with the Jewish diaspora to North America and Israel. Today, kollels exist in many countries and serve as centers of scholarship, training, and communal leadership, contributing to the ongoing transmission of Talmudic study and tradition.