Binyomin Wilhelm

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Binyomin Wilhelm (1886-1974) was the founder of Yeshiva Torah Vadass.

Born in Lodz, Poland, he was the oldest son of a Radoshitzer chassidic family. In his teens he left by himself to the United States. He first peddled a pushcart, until he had made enough money to rent a store. At 20, he had a houseware business.

He moved to Williamsburg, New York, where he wanted to open a yeshiva for boys. At that time, the few yeshivos that existed in the United States -- Yeshivas HaRav Yaakov Yosef, Etz Chaim Yeshiva, Yeshivas HaRav Shlomo Kluger -- were all in the Lower East Side of Manhattan.

Wilhelm envisioned a yeshiva that taught secular studies in the afternoons. Wilhelm had to overcame large opposition to his type of yeshiva. Most parents did not want to send their children to yeshiva. There was also opposition from the other side. Some parents held that a yeshiva should be purely for jewish studies.

Wilhelm was active in Torah Vodaas until his 80's, when he moved to Israel in 1968. There, he founded a network of afternoon programs for Sephardic youth in developing areas, which was to strengthen their commitment to Judaism. He called the network Mifal Torah Vodaas.

He was the author of Nidchei Yisroel, a guide for new Jewish immigrants.

His grandson Rabbi Yisroel Belsky, is a rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Torah Vodaas.