Beis Medrash Govoha Kollel Check: Time to Say Goodbye?

The largest kollel in America is without a doubt is Lakewood’s Beis Medrash Govoha. According to the official numbers, there are over 6,000 kollel yungerleit who spend their days learning there. Some, but not all of the chavrei hakollel, receive a kollel check in return for their learning in the yeshiva. This costs the yeshiva millions of dollars a year, but adds up to a paltry $3,000 a year for each person “lucky” enough to be granted a kollel check.

Say, for example Mayor Bloomberg would wake up one morning in a generous mood and decide to give a gift of $80,000,000.00 to his subjects in New York City. He would distribute the money by giving everyone in the city $10. Would that be a good use of his money?

In the same manner, Beis Medrash Govoha’s kollel check is neither an effective nor an efficient use of the yeshiva’s money. The $3,000 a year is not changing anyone’s life, nor is anyone living off the money. It is highly doubtful that the existence of the kollel check is causing anyone to  stay in learning longer than if they would not be receiving one. And on the other hand, the pressure of raising the money to cover the kollel checks are a huge strain on the roshei yeshiva and fundraisers.

Eliminating the kollel check would be a wise decision for Lakewood yeshiva. It would cut $6-8 million dollars a year from the budget, and hardly change anyone’s life in the process. The money that was going to fund kollel checks, could be put to use in much more efficient ways, as will be explored in future posts.

Editor’s note: I know this post will elicit some very passionate responses from my readers. Please feel free to write your intelligent and respectful comments, which will enhance this discussion.

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Filed Under: Kollel Finances

Tags: BMG • budget • kollel check • lakewood