Od Yosef Chai Yeshiva - Revision history

Chabad Bot: Add Satherley (2015) on yeshiva, Hilltop Youth and Chabad affiliation

2026-10-16T10:47:32Z

Add Satherley (2015) on yeshiva, Hilltop Youth and Chabad affiliation

Chabad Bot: Reword editor's note on Chabad disavowal

2026-10-16T08:47:46Z

Reword editor's note on Chabad disavowal

Chabad Bot: Expand: Kifl Haris, Baruch HaGever, Torat HaMelech case closure, state action 2011-15, Hilltop Youth caveats; source labels; all existing content retained

2026-10-16T08:47:35Z

Expand: Kifl Haris, Baruch HaGever, Torat HaMelech case closure, state action 2011-15, Hilltop Youth caveats; source labels; all existing content retained

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David at 09:56, 14 June 2026

2026-06-14T09:56:22Z

David: /* Teachings and Controversies */

2026-06-14T09:54:41Z

Teachings and Controversies

David at 09:53, 14 June 2026

2026-06-14T09:53:33Z

David: Created page with "{{short description|Hardline religious Zionist yeshiva in Yitzhar settlement, known for controversial teachings and links to settler extremism}} {{Infobox organization | name..."

2026-06-14T09:52:50Z

Created page with "{{short description|Hardline religious Zionist yeshiva in Yitzhar settlement, known for controversial teachings and links to settler extremism}} {{Infobox organization | name..."

New page

{{short description|Hardline religious Zionist yeshiva in Yitzhar settlement, known for controversial teachings and links to settler extremism}}

{{Infobox organization
| name = Od Yosef Chai Yeshiva
| native_name = ישיבת עוד יוסף חי
| image =
| caption =
| formation = 1982
| founder = Romem Aldubi
| type = [[Yeshiva]]
| headquarters = [[Yitzhar]], [[West Bank]]
| location = [[West Bank]]
| key_people = [[Yitzchak Ginsburgh]] (spiritual leader and president)<br>[[Yitzhak Shapira]] (former head)<br>[[Yosef Elitzur]]
| focus = Torah study, Kabbalah, Hasidic philosophy, religious Zionism
| website = {{URL|https://www.odyosefchai.org/}}
}}

'''Od Yosef Chai''' (Hebrew: עוד יוסף חי, "Joseph still lives") is a hardline religious Zionist yeshiva located in the [[West Bank]] settlement of [[Yitzhar]].<ref name="JGive">JGive, [https://www.jgive.com/new/en/ils/charity-organizations/1535 Yeshivat Od Yosef Chai] ''JGive'', accessed June 2026.</ref><ref name="TOI2023">Times of Israel, [https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/shift-shake-jewish-terrorism-from-hills-to-the-big-apple-skyscrapers/ Shift & Shake: Jewish Terrorism] ''Times of Israel'', 27 September 2023.</ref>

It is known for its radical interpretations of Jewish law, Kabbalistic teachings, and associations with settler violence, including "price tag" attacks linked to the [[Hilltop Youth]].<ref name="972Mag">+972 Magazine, [https://www.972mag.com/yitzhar-hilltop-settler-violence/ How one hilltop became an incubator for Israeli settler violence] ''+972 Magazine'', 2 January 2020.</ref>

== History ==
The yeshiva was founded in 1982 (5742) by Romem Aldubi and associates at [[Joseph's Tomb]] in Nablus (Shechem).<ref name="JGive" />

It operated there until the Second Intifada, when the IDF withdrew from the site in 2000. The yeshiva then relocated to the settlement of [[Yitzhar]], where it expanded to include a high school, yeshiva gedolah, kollel, and publishing activities.<ref name="JGive" /><ref name="TOI2023" />

== Leadership ==
Rabbi [[Yitzchak Ginsburgh]], an American-born rabbi affiliated with [[Chabad-Lubavitch]], serves as the spiritual leader and president. He has headed or influenced the institution since the late 1980s.<ref name="TOI2023" /><ref name="Forward2016">Forward, [https://forward.com/news/352016/the-kabbalist-who-would-be-king-of-a-new-jewish-monarchy-in-israel/ The Kabbalist Who Would Be King] ''Forward'', 14 October 2016.</ref>

Other key figures include Rabbis [[Yitzhak Shapira]] and [[Yosef Elitzur]], who served as heads and authored controversial texts.<ref name="Haaretz2010">Haaretz, [https://www.haaretz.com/2010-01-22/ty-article/the-kings-torah-a-rabbinic-text-or-a-call-to-terror/0000017f-e58c-dea7-adff-f5ff8b080000 The King's Torah: A Rabbinic Text or a Call to Terror?] ''Haaretz'', 22 January 2010.</ref>

== Teachings and Controversies ==
The yeshiva promotes a blend of Hasidic philosophy, Kabbalah, and hardline religious Zionism. Critics accuse it of fostering Jewish supremacism through interpretations distinguishing between Jewish and non-Jewish souls and permitting violence in certain contexts.<ref name="TOI2023" /><ref name="Forward2016" />

In 2009, rabbis associated with the yeshiva published ''Torat HaMelech'' (''The King's Torah''), which argued that the prohibition on murder applies primarily to Jews and outlined scenarios where killing non-Jews, including civilians and children, could be permissible if they pose a threat.<ref name="Haaretz2010" /><ref name="972Mag" />

The book drew widespread condemnation, led to investigations for incitement, and prompted funding cuts from Israeli ministries.<ref name="TOI2023" />

Rabbi [[Yitzchak Ginsburgh]] has faced multiple detentions and accusations of incitement, including for statements describing Arabs as a "cancer" and endorsing related texts.<ref name="Forward2016" />

== Links to Chabad ==
While not formally part of the [[Chabad-Lubavitch]] network, [[Yitzchak Ginsburgh]] has deep ties to the movement. He studied in Chabad institutions, developed a relationship with the [[Lubavitcher Rebbe]], and incorporates Chassidut and Kabbalah into teachings at the yeshiva. Chabad students have attended classes there.<ref name="Forward2016" /><ref name="TOI2023" />

== Connections to Hilltop Youth and Price Tag Attacks ==
Od Yosef Chai is widely regarded as an ideological incubator for the [[Hilltop Youth]], a radical settler movement known for unauthorised outposts and "price tag" attacks—retaliatory violence against Palestinians and Israeli forces, including arson, vandalism, and killings.<ref name="972Mag" /><ref name="BBC2012">BBC, [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-19601311 'Price-tag' tactics of West Bank Jewish settlers] ''BBC'', 17 September 2012.</ref>

Students and alumni have been implicated in such attacks. Israeli security services have linked the yeshiva's teachings to encouragement of violence, leading to raids, funding suspensions, and temporary seizures.<ref name="972Mag" /><ref name="TOI2023" />

== See also ==
* [[Yitzchak Ginsburgh]]
* [[The King's Torah]]
* [[Hilltop Youth]]
* [[Price tag attack policy]]
* [[Chabad-Lubavitch]]
* [[Jewish extremism in Israel]]

== External links ==
[https://www.odyosefchai.org/ Official website]

==Notes==
<references/>

[[Category:Yeshivas in the West Bank]]
[[Category:Religious Zionism]]
[[Category:1982 establishments in Israel]]
[[Category:Chabad-Lubavitch]]
[[Category:Jewish extremism in Israel]]
[[Category:Controversial religious groups]]

@@ Line 52: / Line 52: @@
 == Connections to Hilltop Youth and price tag attacks ==
-Od Yosef Chai is widely regarded as an ideological incubator for the [[Hilltop Youth]]. This radical settler milieu is known for unauthorised outposts and "price tag" attacks, meaning retaliatory violence against Palestinians and Israeli forces, including arson, vandalism, and killings.<ref name="972Mag" /><ref name="BBC2012" /> In 2014 ''Haaretz'' cited security officials who blamed vengeance attacks on about 100 radical activists in Yitzhar "who based their actions on Ginsburgh's teachings".<ref name="Forward2016" /> Students and alumni have been implicated in such attacks. Israeli security services have linked the yeshiva's teachings to encouragement of violence, leading to raids, funding suspensions, and temporary seizures.<ref name="972Mag" /><ref name="TOI2023" /> [[Meir Ettinger]], Kahane's grandson and alleged leader of "The Revolt", is described as "a prize student of Ginsburgh".<ref name="Forward2016" />
+Od Yosef Chai is widely regarded as an ideological incubator for the [[Hilltop Youth]]. This radical settler milieu is known for unauthorised outposts and "price tag" attacks, meaning retaliatory violence against Palestinians and Israeli forces, including arson, vandalism, and killings.<ref name="972Mag" /><ref name="BBC2012" /> In 2014 ''Haaretz'' cited security officials who blamed vengeance attacks on about 100 radical activists in Yitzhar "who based their actions on Ginsburgh's teachings".<ref name="Forward2016" /> Students and alumni have been implicated in such attacks. Israeli security services have linked the yeshiva's teachings to encouragement of violence, leading to raids, funding suspensions, and temporary seizures.<ref name="972Mag" /><ref name="TOI2023" /> [[Meir Ettinger]], Kahane's grandson and alleged leader of "The Revolt", is described as "a prize student of Ginsburgh".<ref name="Forward2016" /> In a 2015 doctoral study, Tessa Satherley calls her survey "the first comprehensive exploration of linkages between Od Yosef Chai and vigilante violence". She concludes that the yeshiva and Ginsburgh "have a substantial influence in shaping the worldview of some Hilltop Youth, although the youths do not necessarily accept them as halakhic authorities".<ref name="SatO195">Tessa Satherley, ''Unity and Opposites in Israel's Settler Movement: Rabbi Tzvi Yisrael Tau and Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh'' (PhD thesis, University of Melbourne, 2015), p. 195.</ref> She describes Od Yosef Chai and Ginsburgh's "brand of Hasidism" as one of two streams, alongside Kahane's followers, that filled the void left when the youth rejected mainstream religious-Zionist rabbis.<ref name="SatO183">Satherley (2015), p. 183.</ref> In late 2011 the Shin Bet recommended cutting the yeshiva's state funding on the grounds that "Prominent rabbis in the yeshiva support and/or are involved in this violent activity". She adds that the yeshiva "continues to operate (without the yeshiva ketanah), thanks to private donors".<ref name="SatO193">Satherley (2015), p. 193.</ref>
-:''Editor's note: the Hilltop Youth draw mainly on Religious Zionist and Kahanist circles. Od Yosef Chai's role is that of one important centre, not proof that the movement is a Chabad one.''
+:''Editor's note: Satherley (2015, pp. 180–83) describes the Hilltop Youth as seeing themselves as heirs of Gush Emunim, with no formal organisation. Their mentors come from two streams, Od Yosef Chai and the Kahanists. Od Yosef Chai is one important centre, not proof that the movement is a Chabad one.''
 == Links to Chabad ==
-Od Yosef Chai is not formally part of the [[Chabad-Lubavitch]] network. Still, Ginsburgh studied in Chabad institutions, developed a relationship with and studied with the [[Lubavitcher Rebbe]], lived in [[Kfar Chabad]], and draws on Chassidut and Kabbalah in his teaching. The ''Forward'' reports that since 2011 he has held an annual 19 Kislev event "in cooperation with the Chabad Hasidic sect". Chabad students have attended classes there.<ref name="Forward2016" /><ref name="TOI2023" />
+Od Yosef Chai is not formally part of the [[Chabad-Lubavitch]] network. Still, Ginsburgh studied in Chabad institutions, developed a relationship with and studied with the [[Lubavitcher Rebbe]], lived in [[Kfar Chabad]], and draws on Chassidut and Kabbalah in his teaching. The ''Forward'' reports that since 2011 he has held an annual 19 Kislev event "in cooperation with the Chabad Hasidic sect". Chabad students have attended classes there.<ref name="Forward2016" /><ref name="TOI2023" /> Satherley notes that "although Ginsburgh is affiliated with Chabad, Od Yosef Chai is not". She writes that the yeshiva is "neither mainstream religious Zionist… nor formally affiliated with the Hasidic movement, despite Ginsburgh's own affiliation with Chabad and despite his teachings being steeped in its Kabbalistic inheritance".<ref name="SatO175">Satherley (2015), pp. 175, 186 n. 26.</ref>
 :''Editor's note: Chabad supporters online often claim that Chabad has disavowed Ginsburgh, but no official Chabad statement or primary source documenting such a disavowal could be found.''

@@ Line 59: / Line 59: @@
 Od Yosef Chai is not formally part of the [[Chabad-Lubavitch]] network. Still, Ginsburgh studied in Chabad institutions, developed a relationship with and studied with the [[Lubavitcher Rebbe]], lived in [[Kfar Chabad]], and draws on Chassidut and Kabbalah in his teaching. The ''Forward'' reports that since 2011 he has held an annual 19 Kislev event "in cooperation with the Chabad Hasidic sect". Chabad students have attended classes there.<ref name="Forward2016" /><ref name="TOI2023" />
-:''Editor's note: no Chabad headquarters statement distancing the movement from the yeshiva or from ''Torat HaMelech'' has yet been verified.''
+:''Editor's note: Chabad supporters online often claim that Chabad has disavowed Ginsburgh, but no official Chabad statement or primary source documenting such a disavowal could be found.''
 == See also ==

@@ Line 15: / Line 15: @@
 | website = [https://www.odyosefchai.org/ odyoesfchai.org]
 }}
+{{Chabad sidebar}}
 '''Od Yosef Chai''' (Hebrew: עוד יוסף חי, "Joseph still lives") is a hardline religious Zionist yeshiva located in the [[West Bank]] settlement of [[Yitzhar]].<ref name="JGive">JGive, [https://www.jgive.com/new/en/ils/charity-organizations/1535 Yeshivat Od Yosef Chai] ''JGive'', accessed June 2026.</ref><ref name="TOI2023">Times of Israel, [https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/shift-shake-jewish-terrorism-from-hills-to-the-big-apple-skyscrapers/ Shift & Shake: Jewish Terrorism] ''Times of Israel'', 27 September 2023.</ref>

@@ Line 33: / Line 33: @@
 The yeshiva promotes a blend of Hasidic philosophy, Kabbalah, and hardline religious Zionism. Critics accuse it of fostering Jewish supremacism through interpretations distinguishing between Jewish and non-Jewish souls and permitting violence in certain contexts.<ref name="TOI2023" /><ref name="Forward2016" />
-In 2009, rabbis associated with the yeshiva published ''Torat HaMelech'' (''The King's Torah''), which argued that the prohibition on murder applies primarily to Jews and outlined scenarios where killing non-Jews, including civilians and children, could be permissible if they pose a threat.<ref name="Haaretz2010" /><ref name="972Mag" />
+In 2009, rabbis associated with the yeshiva published ''[[Torat HaMelech]]'' (''[[The King's Torah]]''), which argued that the prohibition on murder applies primarily to Jews and outlined scenarios where killing non-Jews, including civilians and children, could be permissible if they pose a threat.<ref name="Haaretz2010" /><ref name="972Mag" />
 The book drew widespread condemnation, led to investigations for incitement, and prompted funding cuts from Israeli ministries.<ref name="TOI2023" />

@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 | key_people = [[Yitzchak Ginsburgh]] (spiritual leader and president)<br>[[Yitzhak Shapira]] (former head)<br>[[Yosef Elitzur]]
 | focus = Torah study, Kabbalah, Hasidic philosophy, religious Zionism
-| website = {{URL|https://www.odyosefchai.org/}}
+| website = [https://www.odyosefchai.org/ odyoesfchai.org]
 }}