R' Moshe of Stolin established the "Beis Yisrael" Yeshiva in the year of 5682, in memory of his father, the 'Ohr Yisrael', in order for the young talmidim at the Stoliner Talmud Torah to continue pursuing their yeshiva education. Originally, only twenty bachurim enrolled in the Yeshiva, however very soon it turned into a renowned center for Torah, sought after by bachurim from all over the region. The number of talmidim quickly rose to well over one hundred, led by a devoted staff of distinguished Ramim, among them Rav Shimon of Zelichiv hy"d who later served as menahel ruchani at Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin. When the Rebbe R' Avraham Elimelech took over the leadership of the Chassidic Court, he established the "Ohr Yisrael" Yeshiva in Sarni, which attracted bachurim from all around Vohlin. As the year 5690 drew to an end, the yeshiva was relocated to Loninietz and was temporary set up in a Beis Medrash. The yeshiva soon received its own building, where it continued to thrive and expand. The Rebbe served as both the administrator of the yeshiva as well as its menahel ruchani, and devoted himself completely to its success. This is evident in a letter he wrote to his followers in Bialystok: 'We did not establish the yeshiva for our own honor, but to continue in the footsteps of our fathers, who gave their lives to the yeshiva for several generations'. The Roshei Yeshiva were all distinguished, leading rabbanim of their time; Rav Moshe Bernstein zt"l, the son-in-law of the gaon Rav Baruch Ber Leibovitz zt"l of Kamenitz and Rav Eliezer Menachem Mann Shach zt"l, who would later become the Ponevezh Rosh Yeshiva. Rav Zalman Brizel was appointed as mashgiach in 5698, and was extremely influential in encouraging the bachurim to serve Hashem with great passion as per his own personal aspiration.
The Rebbe R' Yochanan worked tirelessly during his lifetime to establish Talmud Torahs and yeshivas in the surrounding areas, among them the yeshiva in Lutzk. In the year of 5699, the R' Avraham Elimelech established the "Beis Aharon" yeshiva in Yerushalayim at the Beis Medrash in the Old City. The Rebbe was very fond of the yeshiva and went to great lengths to emphasize its importance. He promised to aid the yeshiva financially from his hometown, and was quoted as saying: 'I know how important this is and that it is a matter of pikuach nefesh'. Following WWII, when R' Yochanan was the only survivor of the once-glorious dynasty, he immediately restored the yeshiva and reignited the fire that had been almost completely extinguished by the cursed Nazis. In the year of 5707, the Rebbe appointed Rav Yisrael Grossman zt"l as Rosh Yeshiva; a post he held until his passing. After the War of Independence the yeshiva could not remain at its location in the Old City, and it transferred to the "Beis Yisrael" central Beis Medrash at the Beis Yisrael neighborhood.
The Rebbe R' Moshe Mordechai also bore the burden of the yeshiva until the day of his passing. The Rebbe zt"l, who did not spear any efforts for the sake of the yeshiva's continued expansion, outdid his predecessors in expressing the significance of the yeshiva's existence when he said: 'The yeshiva is the (single most important) enterprise of the previous Rebbes'.
Recently, the yeshiva received a considerable boost as it was transferred to a temporary well-located dwelling place on Peres Street in Yerushalayim in the building of the "Migdal Ohr" institutions headed by Rav Yitzchak David Grossman shlit"a, rabbi of Migdal Ha'Emek. The yeshiva later relocated to its current location at a spacious building in the Ramot neighborhood. The yeshiva continues to expand under the watchful eyes of the Rebbe shlit"a, who leads the devoted staff with his wisdom and insight. With much gratitude to Hashem Yisbarach, the yeshiva now numbers over two hundred outstanding bachurim dedicated to learning Torah lishmah.
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