Machon Yaakov - The Dr. David Robinson Institute for Jewish Heritage

What Machon Yaakov - The Dr. David Robinson Institute for Jewish Heritage does

Machon Yaakov is a private, nonprofit Jewish educational institution (yeshiva) founded in 2005 and headquartered in a refurbished 5-story villa in the Har Nof neighborhood of Jerusalem, Israel. It delivers a two-year immersive post-college Jewish studies program for English-speaking men aged 20-30, enrolling roughly 30-35 students annually across first- and second-year cohorts (15-20 new admissions per year) and serving students with little or no prior Jewish background alongside those with traditional yeshiva preparation. The curriculum centers on Talmudic study (Gemara), Chumash with Rashi, classical character development texts (notably Mesilat Yesharim by Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto), Halacha, and an intensive Hebrew language program, delivered through daily classes, chevrusa (partner) learning, one-on-one tutoring, and rotating special-topic courses.

The institution is co-led by Rabbi Beryl Gershenfeld (Rosh Yeshiva, also founder of MEOR college outreach) and Rabbi Avraham Yitzchok Jacobs (Director, former Senior Managing Director at JP Morgan), supported by a faculty of approximately 15+ rabbis with elite secular credentials (Cambridge, Stanford, Columbia, Wharton, PhDs in psychology). Revenue comes from $22,000/year tuition (covering room and board) plus a separate $500 annual fee, supplemented by tax-deductible donations processed through 'The Rabinowitz Institute' public charity. The school has produced nearly 400 alumni living across the US, Europe, South America, and Australia, working in finance, medicine, tech, law, consulting, and Jewish communal leadership. Recruitment is sales-led via direct application (Google Forms), alumni and parent referrals, and MEOR's 20+ university campus programs; no paid advertising channels are deployed.

Name

Machon Yaakov - The Dr. David Robinson Institute for Jewish Heritage

Legal name

Machon Yaakov - The Dr. David Robinson Institute for Jewish Heritage

Website

https://machonyaakov.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Machon Yaakov is a Jerusalem-based nonprofit yeshiva running a two-year immersive post-college Jewish studies program for English-speaking men aged 20-30, enrolling 30-35 students annually and funded by $22,000/year tuition and charitable donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Jewish Education Services

NAICS

Other Schools and Instruction (6116), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Jewish Theological Seminaries & Rabbinical Colleges (EDAHAKAH)

Keywords

• Jewish education
• Yeshiva programs
• Torah studies
• Post-college education
• Religious education

Headquarters

HQ city

Jerusalem

HQ country

Israel

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Program Tuition: Annual tuition of $22,000 covering tuition, room, and board. Additional $500 annual fee for outside yeshiva events and travel. Students also incur airfare, medical insurance, books, and personal expenses.
2. Donations: Tax-deductible donations accepted via credit card or ACH direct deposit, processed through The Rabinowitz Institute (public charity). Donations support Torah learning and building Jewish leaders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Machon Yaakov provides a two-year immersive post-college Jewish studies program in Jerusalem for English-speaking men aged 20-30. The curriculum covers Talmud (Gemara), Chumash with Rashi commentary, Halacha, Hebrew language, and character development based on Mesilat Yesharim, delivered through daily classes, chevrusa partner learning, one-on-one tutoring, and rotating special-topic lectures. The program is structured as a residential yeshiva covering tuition, room, and board at $22,000 per year.

Product overview

Machon Yaakov is a two-year immersive post-college Jewish studies program located in Jerusalem. The core offering consists of the First Year Program and Second Year Program, supplemented by a Hebrew Language Program for students without prior Hebrew background. The curriculum centers on Talmudic study (Gemara), Torah texts (Chumash with Rashi), character development (Mesilat Yesharim), and Jewish Law (Halacha), delivered through daily classes, one-on-one tutoring, and rotating special topics. The institution serves approximately 30-35 students annually and maintains an active alumni network of nearly 400 graduates worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• First Year Program Intensive first-year residential program for post-college and young professional men providing immersive Jewish studies including Gemara, Chumash with Rashi, Hebrew language skills, Halacha, and character development, designed for students with little or no Jewish background. Tuition, room, and board covered at $22,000 per year.
• Second Year Program Advanced second-year program building on first-year foundations with deeper Talmudic analysis, expanded Gemara proficiency, and continued personal and spiritual development under senior rabbinic guidance. Tuition, room, and board covered at $22,000 per year.
• Hebrew Language Program Intensive Hebrew language program designed to bolster vocabulary and grammar for students with little or no background in Hebrew, enabling access to original Hebrew and Aramaic texts. Taught by Rabbi Shlomo Eitan, founder of Ulpan Eitan.
• One-on-One Tutoring Personalized tutoring sessions with resident rabbis for practicing reading and translation skills, or discussing challenging Gemara sections from the morning program. Available every evening with tutors including Rabbi Moshe Cohen (9,000+ lectures over 20 years) and others.
• Alumni Network Active alumni network of nearly 400 graduates living worldwide, working in finance, medicine, tech, consulting, law, and other fields. Maintained through a dedicated alumni portal, Alumni Board (Chairman, Fundraising, Alumni Events, Advisory roles), alumni mentoring of current students, and Legacy Retreats programming.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 400 alumni living across the world in diverse professional fields
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• MEORcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005MEOR (Jewish literacy and leadership programs) founded by Rabbi Beryl Gershenfeld, Co-Founder of Machon Yaakov. MEOR provides Jewish outreach on 20+ college campuses including Harvard, Stanford, Yale. Serves as a feeder pipeline and closely aligned organization with shared mission of Jewish education for young adults.
• Legacy RetreatssupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerLegacy Retreats is a separate organization with its own website (legacyretreats.org) that provides alumni retreat programs. Listed as navigation item on Machon Yaakov website alongside Alumni section. Maintains engagement with alumni post-graduation.
• OlamisupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerJewish outreach organization. Rabbi Gidon Shoshan serves as deputy managing director of Olami while teaching at Machon Yaakov. Alumni Jack C. works for North American Region of Olami. Shared mission of Jewish identity and leadership development for young Jews.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Yeshivat Hakotel: Established Israeli post-high-school yeshiva in Jerusalem primarily serving Israeli/Hebrew-speaking students rather than English-speaking American young professionals. Comparable in format and curriculum but operates in a different recruitment market.

Direct peers

• Mayanot Institute of Jewish Studies: Jerusalem-based yeshiva offering men's and women's study programs for English-speaking young professionals, including those with limited Jewish background. Directly comparable in target market, immersive residential format, and curriculum depth.
• Machon Shlomo: Jerusalem-based post-college men's yeshiva offering intensive Talmud and Jewish heritage programs. Directly comparable in format, target audience, and academic structure; notably, Machon Yaakov's Co-Founder Rabbi Gershenfeld also serves as Dean of Machon Shlomo, indicating deep institutional overlap.
• Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies: Co-educational yeshiva/seminary in Jerusalem offering full-year and multi-year study programs for post-college students. Comparable in serving English-speaking learners from diverse backgrounds, with structured curricula in Gemara, Tanakh, and Jewish thought.
• Darche Noam / Shapell's (Yeshivat Darche Noam): Jerusalem yeshiva offering post-high-school and post-college Jewish learning programs targeting English-speaking students. Similar curriculum (Gemara, Chumash, Halacha) and demographic focus.
• Aish HaTorah Jerusalem: Major Jerusalem-based Jewish educational organization offering immersive learning programs (Aish HaTorah College Program and Essentials) for post-college young Jewish professionals. Shares target demographic, recruitment channels (including college campus outreach), and curricular focus on Talmud, Jewish philosophy, and heritage.
• Ohr Somayach International Jewish Education Center: Long-standing Jerusalem-based post-college yeshiva serving English-speaking Jewish young professionals, including those with limited background. Directly competes with Machon Yaakov for the same applicant pool of unaffiliated/returning Jewish men aged 20-30 seeking immersive Talmudic study.

Broad incumbents

• Yeshiva University (RIETS and Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary): Largest American Orthodox Jewish educational institution with undergraduate, graduate, and rabbinical programs. Competes indirectly for the same students, particularly through its undergraduate and post-college learning tracks, though structured as a multi-year university rather than a 2-year post-college yeshiva.

Others

• MEOR (Jewish Heritage Program): Jewish educational outreach organization operating on 20+ U.S. college campuses, founded by Machon Yaakov Co-Founder Rabbi Beryl Gershenfeld. Functions as a feeder pipeline and closely aligned organization with shared mission of Jewish education for young adults.
• Olami: International Jewish outreach organization running programs on college campuses and post-college. Directly comparable in target audience (young Jewish professionals) and outreach mission; also a Machon Yaakov strategic partner via Deputy Managing Director Rabbi Gidon Shoshan.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/machonyaakov

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Machon Yaakov - The Dr. David Robinson Institute for Jewish Heritage