About Us

The Yeshivot and Ulpanot of Bnei Akiva -Make up the leading religious Zionist educational network in Israel.

Our Story

AFYBA’S history began in 1939, when Rabbi Moshe Zvi Neria, student of Rav Avraham Yitzchok HaCohen Kook and future Israel Prize winner, went to Kfar Haroeh to create a new kind of yeshiva high school. Over the next 80 years, AFYBA blossomed into a network of 70 institutions – Yeshivot, Ulpanot, Hesder and Pre-Military Academies – that span the entire length and width of Israel.

Our History

1939


Yeshivat AFYBA Kfar HaRoeh opens under the leadership of Rav Moshe Tzvi Neria and 13 of his students. The yeshiva revolutionizes Israeli education with its focus on religious-Zionist values.

1951

Yeshivat AFYBA Meron opens with 200 students. The yeshiva offers a warm, personal atmosphere as well as classes in shechitah (ritual slaughter), writing Torah scrolls and tailoring.

1954

Rav Tzuckerman establishes "Merkaz Yeshivot Bnei Akiva," a central educational network for all AFYBA schools.

 

1960

The first ulpana, Ulpanat AFYBA Kfar Pines, opens. Students sleep in a dormitory, a revolutionary concept for girls' high schools.

1966

American Friends of Yeshivot Bnei Akiva forms in New York to support AFYBA schools.

1967

Yeshivat Hesder AFYBA HaKotel opens immediately after the Six Day War. This yeshivat hesder was originally housed in a Jordanian bunker near the Kotel.

1975

Yeshivat Hesder AFYBA Maalot is established to strengthen the Maalot community after a tragic terror attack claims the lives of 31 Israelis.

1984

AFYBA expands to include TOM, a youth village for at-risk students.

1994

New AFYBA schools open, including schools in the periphery of Israel. Specialized programs, such as Yeshivat AFYBA Sussya, a school for environmental education, become part of the YABA network over the next few years.

1995

Mechinat AFYBA Or Me'ophir, a program for students of Ethiopian descent, is established. Mechinat AFYBA Or Me'ophir combines Torah learning, IDF service and vocational training with 100% of students completing IDF service!

1995

Mechinat AFYBA Or Me'ophir, a program for students of Ethiopian descent, is established. Mechinat AFYBA Or Me'ophir combines Torah learning, IDF service and vocational training with 100% of students completing IDF service!

2006

The AFYBA offices move to Ramot Shapira, in Bet Meir.

2013

Yeshivat Hesder AFYBA Neve Dekalim re-opens in Asdod. This yeshiva was evacuated twice—in 1982 from Yamit as part of a peace treaty with Egypt and in 2005 from Gush Katif.

2015

The campus of Yeshivat AFYBA Orot Yehuda is completed in Efrat. Yeshivat AFYBA Orot Yehuda serves Efrat's growing population that includes many olim.

2019

AFYBA celebrates 80 years as an educational force in Israel with 70 schools and an annual enrollment of 24,000 students!

AFYBA graduates go on to proudly serve Israel.

Many attend AFYBA’s hesder yeshivot, join elite IDF combat units or volunteer for Sherut Leumi, Israel’s National Service Corps. Our graduates continue their educational pursuits with college acceptance levels well above the national average. AFYBA’s 100,000 alumni have already made a tremendous impact on Israel and the world while remaining true to their Torah heritage. Our graduates are leaders in every economic, academic, and professional sector of Israeli society and form the foundation of many great institutions beyond our network.

AFYBA educates 24,000 religious Zionist students annually.

AFYBA’s curricula stimulate intellectual curiosity in all fields including Limudei Kodesh, secular studies, arts and science. Our schools are regularly cited at the national level for academic excellence and maintain an open enrollment policy – no child is turned away due to an inability to meet tuition costs. AFYBA has also been a pioneer in achieving successful integration of students who have made Aliyah from Russia, Ethiopia, India, North America, Europe, South Africa and Australia.