Description: Bnei Akiva Schools is a chain of Jewish high schools in North York, Ont., that was established in 1973. The school’s website notes that there are more than 280 students currently enrolled between the two schools, and that it has a network of more than 1,700 alumni. The school’s tuition per year as of 2017 was $24,700.
The school states that one of its four goals is, “To deepen and strengthen the centrality of Eretz Yisrael [the biblical understanding of Israel] and Medinat Yisrael [the State of Israel] as a fundamental element of our Torah beliefs.” Its curriculum guides for Yeshivat Or Chaim, the high school for boys, and Ulpanat Orot, the high school for girls, both advertise a grade 12 course called “Modern Middle East,” in which, as noted in the former, “A special emphasis will be placed on students’ understanding the role the State of Israel plays in the Middle East. They will learn how to defend Israel against the illegitimate claims against its right to exist.”
The school has also advertised an “Aliyah Assistance” program, which refers to immigration to Israel. The advertisement states: “Do you have questions about Aliyah? Looking for assistance navigating the system? Want help with the paperwork, looking for a job or finding the right community? We’re here to help! You are not alone in fulfilling the incredible mitzvah of making Aliyah. By utilizing our expansive network, we can provide expert guidance on most Aliyah-related matters. Don’t hesitate to reach out today!” The overwhelming majority of Israelis between the ages of 18 and 28 living in the country are required to join the Israeli military regardless of if they are immigrants/dual citizens or not.
The website’s “academics” page, meanwhile, states: “Bnei Akiva Schools is proud of our alumni that have attended the following yeshivot, midrashot, and gap-year programs.” The logos included below this statement include Hesder yeshivats (such as Yeshivat Har Etzion and Yeshivat HaKotel), which are programs combining religious studies with Israeli military service.
The school’s 2024/2025 student handbooks state that one of its goals is to: “To encourage and fervently support the notion of our students continuing their Judaic studies at [yeshivot or seminaries] in Eretz Yisrael and in other institutions of higher Jewish learning.”
IDF mentions since Oct. 7, 2023: In the Fall 2023 issue of the BAS Review, one of the school’s magazines, the head of the school states: “we proudly attest that […] over 220 of our graduates have served in the IDF and Sherut Leumi [national service].”
In November 2023, the school’s Instagram page advertised an “army night,” photoshopping the faces of teens onto a photo of Israeli soldiers in uniform.
In February 2024, the school’s Instagram page for alumni posted a photo of six students with the following caption: “We are so proud of a group of six of our YOC Class of 2022 grads […] who have just started the process of drafting into the IDF.” The post has since been deleted.
The Spring 2024 issue of one of the school’s magazines contains many references to the Israeli military, including: multiple Israeli soldiers speaking to students, dinners for family members of Israeli soldiers, the contents of the aforementioned Instagram post celebrating the Israeli military draftees, and a story about alumni fundraising to send food to former classmates currently serving in the military.
The November 2024 issue of the school’s magazine for faculty contains an article from the head of the school, who is also a rabbi, where he discusses going to Israel. He writes: “I visited many of our graduates who have either been discharged from the IDF, are currently serving, or are getting ready to draft. Some of them are deeply affected. Clear mental health challenges were apparent; there were some who spoke openly about their struggles, while some were even questioning their decision to make aliyah and enlist. While I didn’t ask specifically, my sense was that the realities of war (and of course the lack of time to process) has had a far greater impact than they could have anticipated.” Later, he adds, “Of course, we can’t all make aliyah and we can’t all join the IDF to fight, but still, we must find a way to do our part.”
The school’s Instagram page posted several well wishes in February 2025 for Israeli detainees, and in them, said that they would pray for “the success of the IDF.” In May 2025, they posted about the return of one of the Israeli detainees from Gaza, and said that they would pray for “the success of the IDF.”
As of Oct. 29, 2025, the school’s “faculty and staff” page contained multiple members who state that they previously served in the Israeli military. A former faculty member, who has served since Oct. 7, 2023, produced a video for the school’s YouTube page where he states: “We have seen combat. We have been shot at. We are responding, kindly, thank god. A lot of machine gun bullets have been fired at them, and even some tank shells, which are always a blast. Pun intended.” The video has since been removed.
Associated Israeli military members: Zecharya Alexandroff; Sammy Balsam; Geoffrey Baum; Benjamin Brown; Zachary Brown; Daniel Cohen; Sruly Cole; Yoni Collins; Daniel Dalfen; Meir Dalfen; Adam H. Davis; Jory Dayan; Daniel Edery; Nava Edery; Zack Fox; Atarah Gobrin; Shalhevet Gobrin; Daniel Gofine; Yaakov Herman; Mendy Kanofsky; Yadin Koschitzky; Haim Mamann; Ariel Markus; David Max; Ben Nemirov; Sammy Newman; Tani Reiss; Ayala Rotenberg; Eliav Saban; Avraham Zvi (AZ) Thau; Mayer Weinberg; Zev Wiesenthal.
Connections to other organizations included in GTA to IDF:
- Associated Hebrew Schools: Formerly listed as a “partner” on the Camp Moshava Ennismore website; both schools are listed as being “affiliated” with the United Jewish Appeal Federation of Greater Toronto.
- Shaarei Shomayim: Listed as a “partner” in an Instagram post about the November 2023 “March for Israel” in Washington, D.C.
- TanenbaumCHAT: Both schools are listed as being “affiliated” with the United Jewish Appeal Federation of Greater Toronto.
Associated charity: Bnei Akiva Schools is the charity associated with Bnei Akiva Schools. It has had charitable status since 1973, and has brought in at least $47,848,175 in revenue since 2020. This has included at least $23,694,560 in receipted donations, for which donors enjoy tax breaks, and at least $3,474,250 in direct government funding.
