A Torah Study Revolution in Russia: Bringing the Yeshiva Experience to Every Jew
Nearly a century ago, during some of the darkest days for Soviet Jewry, the Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, worked tirelessly to establish Torah study frameworks for those unable to devote their entire day to learning in a yeshiva. Through the Tiferes Bachurim program, young men—including artisans and working professionals—gathered in Moscow and other cities to study Gemara, Halacha, and Chassidus.
During the same period in the United States, the Previous Rebbe established yeshivas and educational frameworks known as Achei Tmimim in various locations. These institutions sought to expand access to Torah study by providing students attending public schools with opportunities to deepen their Jewish learning after completing their required government examinations. The goal was to help them continue their spiritual development and ultimately pursue a life of Torah in the spirit of the holy Tomchei Tmimim yeshivas.
Today, that vision is being revived in Moscow with the establishment of Tiferes Hatmimim – Moscow, a yeshiva designed for Jewish youth and young men who sincerely wish to study Torah, experience the yeshiva environment, and advance in their service of Hashem, but whose circumstances do not yet allow them to enroll in a traditional full-time program.
The veteran Yeshiva Gedolah, Tomchei Tmimim Moscow, is located in Sofrino, on the outskirts of the capital. Its program is primarily geared toward young men who can dedicate themselves to full-time Torah study. But what about someone who is already working? What about a young man whose circumstances do not permit him to leave everything behind and relocate to a yeshiva? Or someone who embraced Judaism later in life and now wishes to pursue Torah study in a serious, structured setting?
Tiferes Hatmimim was established this month to address precisely these needs, giving every Jew the opportunity to enter the world of yeshiva learning and gradually advance in Torah and Chassidus. For school students and younger men, the program can also serve as a practical stepping stone toward further study at Tomchei Tmimim Yeshiva Gedolah, equipping them with foundational learning skills, proper study habits, and a genuine appreciation for Torah.
Designed for those who live and work in the city, the program welcomes participants of different ages and backgrounds. It serves as a makom Torah—a place of Torah study—for anyone seeking to live an observant Jewish life, learn seriously, and progress at their own pace toward higher levels of learning.
The curriculum follows the structure of a traditional yeshiva, incorporating in-depth study of Chumash, Gemara, Halacha, and Chassidus. Its aim extends beyond simply attending classes: participants are encouraged to develop sound learning methods, acquire the ability to study independently, and build a deep, lasting connection to the world of Torah.
Russia’s Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Berl Lazar, who founded numerous yeshivas and educational institutions in Moscow, participated in the program’s opening day. Addressing the participants, he described the initiative as the closing of a historic circle. Nearly a century after young men gathered in Moscow through Tiferes Bachurim to study Torah and Chassidus despite the harsh conditions of the time, a similar framework has returned to the city with the same fundamental goal: opening the doors of the yeshiva to those who cannot yet commit to full-time study.
The initiative offers participants an opportunity to move beyond occasional classes and become genuinely immersed in Torah learning, developing the skills and commitment needed to grow in their spiritual lives.
The project is supported by the 770 Fund in Russia, headed by philanthropist Rabbi Yehuda Davidov. The program is taught by rabbis and maggidei shiur from the Moscow Yeshiva Gedolah and is spearheaded by Rabbi Yechezkel Lazar and Rabbi Menachem Mendel Slonimsky.
Since its launch, Tiferes Hatmimim has generated considerable interest and attracted participants from a broad range of backgrounds, bringing a century-old vision of accessible, meaningful Torah study to a new generation in Moscow.
