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Ohr Hashalom

A Little about Us

The “Ohr Hashalom” Institutions in Jerusalem were founded in 1979 by Moshe Bar Shalom, a descendant of Rabbi Mullah Ohr Shraga, with the desire to perpetuate his spiritual path and impressive contribution to Torah and tradition. The Institutions bear the name of Rabbi Mullah Ohr Shraga and have as their goal the continuation of his spiritual legacy by disseminating the values of education in general, Torah study, comradeship, mutual assistance, and bringing hearts closer.
The educational structure of the “Ohr Hashalom” Institutions includes a kindergarten, Talmud Torah, Yeshiva and Kollel Avrechim, all of which operate out of a commitment to educate the younger generation in the values of Torah, character building and good conduct.

The “Ohr Hashalom” Institutions emphasize spiritual and self-education, with the aim of providing the students with the tools to deal with the challenges of life, while at the same time maintaining Jewish and national values. Many of the Institutions’ graduates serve today in key positions as rabbis, dayanim, shochetim and teachers, both in the Land of Israel and abroad.
The “Ohr Hashalom” Institutions put into practice the vision of connecting a glorious past with a promising future, while preserving Jewish tradition and educating the students to aspire to lofty spiritual values and love of their fellows.

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Kindergartens

Talmud Torah

Yeshiva High School

Kollel Avreichim

Evening Torah Classes

Support for the Needy

Publishing

Distribution of books

Rabbi Moshe Bar Shalom - Founder

A message from Rabbi Moshe Bar Shalom - Founder and Spiritual Leader of the “Ohr Hashalom” and “Ohr Shraga” Institutions

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Rabbi Yehuda Israel Bar Shalom - CEO

A message from Rabbi Yehuda Israel Bar Shalom – CEO of the "Ohr Hashalom" and "Ohr Shraga" Institutions

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Ohr Hashalom Statistics:

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Families Receiving Support
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Weekly Public Torah Classes
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Rabbi Moshe Bar Shalom - Founder

A message from Rabbi Moshe Bar Shalom – Founder and Spiritual Leader of the “Ohr Hashalom” and “Ohr Shraga” Institutions

“True education is based on kind-heartedness — giving from the heart, having faith in the students, and accompanying them on their journey through life.”

The Gemara in Tractate Sota (page 14a) says: “The Torah begins with kindness and ends with kindness” — at the beginning of the Torah, in Parashat Bereshit (3:21), Hashem shows kindness to Adam and Eve by clothing them with garments of skin, while in the last chapter of the Torah, in Parashat Vezot Habracha, Hashem Himself undertakes the burial of Moshe Rabeinu.

The Sages teach us that the entire Torah, from beginning to end, is rooted in a cycle of kindness — from the moment of the birth of humanity to the passing of the greatest leader of Israel.

This is also, in my opinion, the basis of education: every child, at every stage of his life, needs kindness — an embrace, a present or any gesture that will convey to him a true understanding that someone actually has faith in him and cares for him. Education is not just the imparting of knowledge, but an ongoing act of kindness — to accompany the student on his journey in life, to fortify him in moments of difficulty, and to be with him when he grows and flourishes.

This is the principle that guides me at the “Ohr Hashalom” and the “Ohr Shraga” Institutions — to engage in kind-heartedness not only towards Jewish youngsters, who receive an education aimed at inculcating ethic values and fine characters, but also to go further and extend this idea to help needy folk in the community at large, to support IDF soldiers, and to be messengers of the mitzvah of benevolence in every possible direction.

Together with my dear son and right-hand man Rabbi Yehuda Yisrael Bar Shalom, who was chosen to continue the path with the blessing of recognized rabbinical leaders and community heads in Israel and abroad, we work to consolidate this vision. Just as the Torah begins and ends with kindness, so too does our life’s work begin and continue with good deeds, with love for our fellows, and with a deep commitment to enlightening the world of others

We will continue to develop the “Ohr Hashalom” and “Ohr Shraga” Institutions with faith, dedication, and kindness; we will aim to provide our students not only with Torah and general knowledge, but also with an open heart and an outstretched hand to all who are in distress.

Rabbi Yehuda Israel Bar Shalom - CEO

A message from Rabbi Yehuda Israel Bar Shalom – CEO of the "Ohr Hashalom" and "Ohr Shraga" Institutions

“True education begins with a personal, deep and meaningful connection with each student.”

Baal Haturim (Rabbi Yaakov ben Asher, one of the great early Torah commentators, 1269-1343), approaches this principle in a fascinating way. He notes that the word “קשורה” (connected, tied) appears in the Tanach (Bible) only twice.

The first time the word “קשורה” appears, is in Chumash Bereshit (44:30), in the context of love between father and son, when Judah expresses the close bond between our forefather Jacob and his son Benjamin, “and his soul is tied to his soul,” and the second time in the realm of education: “Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child” (Proverbs 22:15). Baal Haturim explains that in order to remove foolishness from a boy’s heart, the teacher must tie his soul to that of the boy, just like the soul of a father is tied to the soul of his son.

This, in my opinion, is the essence of education – an emotional, personal and direct connection, which allows students to grow, flourish and fully realize their inherent potential.

I grew up in a home where education and dedication to Jewish tradition were a way of life. Alongside my father, Rabbi Moshe Bar Shalom, I absorbed the values on which the “Ohr Hashalom” and “Ohr Shraga” Institutions are based – a deep commitment to education, total dedication to students, and an understanding that each child is a world in his own right.

It comes to me naturally to see my future bonded with a personal mission to fulfil the values I grew up with. These principles inspire me and my co-workers to proceed with vision and dedication, in order to ensure the continuation and success of this magnificent educational enterprise founded by my father.

Together, we will continue to impart not only knowledge and schooling, but also ethic values, integrity and love of others, in the belief that true education begins with a personal and meaningful connection between the educator and each of his students.