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THE HISTORY OF MACHON GOLD  | עקביא בן מהללאל אומר:... דע מאין באת [אבות ג:א]
Akavia son of Mehallalel said...Know where you come from... |  |
RABBI ZE'EV GOLD  Rabbi
Ze'ev Gold was the founder and head of the Department of Torah
Education and Culture in the Diaspora. In his bearing and character he
was a living example of the dignity and royalty of Torah, through his
oratorical gifts, devotion to duty and boundless energy he won the
admiration of his contemporaries.
Rabbi Gold was born in Poland
in 1889 and he received his Smicha at the age of 17. His first
Rabbinical position was Rabbi of Juteka, succeeding his father-in-law.
He moved to the United States in 1907 and fulfilled his dream of making
Aliyah in 1935. He served as Vice-President of the Provisional
Council of the State of Israel and was a co-signatory of its
Declaration of Independence. Subsequently he was elected a member of
the Jewish Agency Executive, heading the Department for Jerusalem
Development. But it was as head of the Department for Torah Education
and Culture in the Diaspora, founded after the 23rd Zionist
Congress that he reentered one of the most active phases of his life.
He was instrumental in establishing new educational institutions in all
parts of the Diaspora based on the twin values of Torah and Zion,
devoting himself particularly to the educational needs of North African
Jewry, whose imagination he fired and who's weakening loyalties to
Judaism he strengthened. Besides his gifts in the public arena
of Jewish life, he was a true Torah scholar, steeped in knowledge of
traditional Jewish law and lore. He displayed an uncanny mastery of the
vast storehouse of rabbinical homiletics. He was an authority on the
philosophy and thought processes in the Talmud. He applied all that he
learnt into a lifestyle that combined deep concern towards others and
piety towards God. Towards the end of his life Rabbi Gold worked on
plans to establish a training institute for young talented dedicated
Jews from the Diaspora who would serve as leaders and role models in
the Jewish community. Two years after his death in 1956, Machon Gold
was opened, a realization of his dream. MACHON GOLD  Machon
Gold was founded in 1958 by the Torah Education Department of the World
Zionist Organization as a teacher training seminary. It was the first
institution to take students from religious homes in the Diaspora and
to expose them to a year of Torah study in Israel.
Rabbi Shlomo Tal Rabbi
Shlomo Tal, the first dean of Machon Gold laid the foundations for the
Israel experience that has become a hugely popular trend for post high
school students ever since. Rabbi Tal served as dean until 1975. The
Israel experience in Machon Gold was established on three factors.
These continue to serve as our guide today. 1. Torah This
was and continues to be the heart of the program and is the basis for
all that Machon Gold offers. Machon Gold managed to attract and
continues to attract the best Jewish educators; there was a time when
Professor Nechama Leibovitz zt"l considered Machon Gold to be her
second home. Rabbi Tal insisted that topics studied were
relevant to the lives of the students. The focus of studies continues
to be Halakha, Tanach and Hashkafa. Rav Tal was editor of Siddur Rinat
Yisrael, the standard Siddur used in many Israeli Synagogues and
therefore Machon Gold has always placed an emphasis on prayer. Students
pray together each day and there are classes dealing with the meaning
and function of prayer ensuring that it becomes an integral part of
life. At that time, all classes were taught in Hebrew at Machon
Gold. Rav Tal believed that students who have the privilege of studying
Torah in Israel should try to do so in Lashon HaKodesh. He felt that it
would be inappropriate for a student to spend a year in Israel without
learning any of the language spoken there. Today, despite the plethora
of English language material available, over a third of our classes are
held in Hebrew and Hebrew language classes are also available. 2. Religious Zionism Rabbi
Tal felt it important to emphasize the miracle that is the
establishment of the State of Israel. He wanted his students to
appreciate the religious significance of the State of Israel. Yom
Ha'aztmaut has always been celebrated as a religious holiday and
subsequently Yom Yerushalayim too. But it is not just at these
times that Zionism is felt at Machon Gold. Tiyyulim are always run with
a Tanach in one hand, connecting the learning in classes to the area in
which we live, connecting it to Eretz Yisrael. The battle of David and
Goliath is not just treated as history, but its study is combined with
a visit to the battleground itself. In addition, located in the
capital city and with easy access to the Old City, students spend a
year of their lives, living their day to day life in Jerusalem. Rav Tal
stressed that this too can be a religious experience. Since his time,
students have been encouraged to explore its streets and appreciate the
significance of living in Israel. 3. Bein Adam LeChavero For
most students at Machon Gold, it is their first time away from their
parents for an extended period. Students learn to integrate into a new
environment. Students from New York share a room with a French student.
A girl from India learns together with an English girl. Each student
brings her lifestyle and culture with her. The diversity serves to
enhance the atmosphere at Machon Gold and close friendships develop
that last for years. Students learn to accommodate each other; they
learn to share and to develop together. They learn how to act
respectfully to one another; they learn how to study together. Dr. Gabriel H Cohn Rabbi
Tal was succeeded by Dr. Gabriel H Cohn who served as dean from 1975
until 1992. Dr. Cohn had served as assistant dean from 1970 until 1975.
 It was under the leadership of Dr. Cohn that young women came
to Machon Gold for the first time from Russia. These women were taught
and trained as teachers and Madrichot, so that they could return to
their communities as educators. They left Machon Gold with
certification as teachers from the Education Ministry in Israel. At a
time when the Jews of Russia were searching for knowledge and Jewish
identity, these young teachers were able to return and share with their
communities that which they learnt at Machon Gold.
It was not
just Russian Jews that benefited from the young teachers of Machon
Gold. Dr. Cohn brought students from such far flung abandoned
communities as Iran, Tunisia and Morocco to study at Machon Gold and
then return to their communities as teachers. He continues to maintain
contact with these former students and many now live in Israel. Dr.
Cohn stressed to his students that that Torah study is not just an
academic exercise; it should affect the way that we behave. He
initiated the volunteer scheme that has become hugely popular since his
time. Students continue to dedicate an afternoon each week to a Chesed
project. These include going to hospitals, working with disadvantaged
youth or visiting an old age home. Torah is valuable to the extent that
it is integrated into daily life. Dr. Cohn felt that the
alumni of Machon Gold should become spokespeople for the Jewish world
in general and in particular for the State of Israel. Every student
took part in a program on the Israel/Arab conflict. In these classes,
students became acquainted with the ideological background of Israel's
existential struggle. In addition, he would distribute opinion pieces
and editorials from the New York Times in order to prepare students for
future discussions. Dr. Cohn would encourage students to pen detailed
and informative letters to the editor on the issues discussed. He
wanted his students to become active educated members of society. Dr.
Cohn was aware of the difficulties experienced by students who spend a
year away from home in an institution. He worked hard to make Machon
Gold a warm and homey educational environment. He referred to the staff
and students as part of the "Machon Gold family" but his thoughts went
further than words. Under his leadership, house parents joined the
staff; a young couple with their children continues to live on campus
creating a homelike atmosphere within the institutional setting. In
later years, Sherut Leumi girls joined Machon Gold. These religious
Israeli girls worked during the day on national social and educational
projects but spent their evenings and weekends with Machon Gold
students. They would act as "older sisters" and offered academic help
as well as social contact. Machon Gold was and continues to be a warm
home for its students in Israel. In an initiative which has
continued to remain popular until today, each student is actively
involved in preparing a Shabbat for the students at Machon Gold
together with her class. This serves two purposes, in addition to
allowing students to feel that they are a part of the Machon Gold
family as they invest in the project, it also provides them with
invaluable tools as they learn how to run a Shabbat program. They
develop skills to serve them in their families and communities in their
lives afterwards. They learn to bring the unique atmosphere of
Jerusalem into their homes and educational environments. Mrs. Shonny Solow Mrs.
Solow joined the staff of Machon Gold in 1987; she served as assistant
to Dr. Cohn and succeeded him as dean in 1992. Her appointment as dean
was a pioneering move, as she was the first woman to stand at the helm
of a Dati Leumi Seminary. Her empathy and warmth allow her to
understand and relate to her students, so that she can guide them
effectively as they develop and grow. Under her leadership, Machon Gold
has placed a greater emphasis on the religious growth of each of its
students, by encouraging very warm and personal connections between
staff members and students. She continues to lead Machon Gold following
the ideals and goals of her predecessors to empower and inspire
dedicated young women from around the world to face the challenges of
the 21st century. Machon Gold continues to develop and we have
been privileged to host daughters of former students. You are invited
to explore our website to see how we continue the journey started
almost 50 years ago.
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