School type Jewish Private Grades 9 - 12 Phone +1 416-630-6772 Founded 1973 | Head of school Rabbi Seth Grauer Language English, Hebrew | |
Religious affiliation(s) Modern Orthodox, Religious Zionism Enrollment Yeshivat Or Chaim - 122 studentsUlpanat Orot - 96 students Address 159 Al Ave, North York, ON M3H 2H9, Canada Similar The Toronto Heschel, Cardinal Carter Academy, The Anne & Max Tanenba, Loretto Abbey Catholic, James Cardinal McGuiga Profiles | ||
Yeshivat Or Chaim boys school (ישיבת אור חיים) and Ulpanat Orot girls school (אולפנת אורות) are two Canadian Orthodox Jewish high schools affiliated with Bnei Akiva located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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Educational philosophy
Both Yeshivat Or Chaim (founded 1973) and Ulpanat Orot (founded 1975) identify with the religious Zionist movement and Bnei Akiva. Students are encouraged to regard Israel as the center of their spiritual life and to spend the year after graduating learning in Israel at a religious seminary. Yeshivat Or Chaim is the only Bnei Akiva yeshiva located outside of Israel.
Curriculum
Both schools have a dual curriculum of religious and secular studies for grades 9 through 12. Secular classes are held in English, and Judaic studies classes are taught in both English and Hebrew. In both schools, the day begins with prayers. The day ends at approximately 5:30pm for boys, and 5:15pm for girls.
Additional programs
Chessed Program- B'nei Akiva Schools has been running a charity program since the beginning of its establishment, named "Chesed" after the Hebrew word "חסד", meaning kindness. Activities have included "Pink Day", involving charity and wearing pink, for the sake of breast cancer awareness.
Athletics
All Bnei Akiva Schools teams go by the team name "Knights". Or Chaim has a varsity and junior varsity basketball team that plays in the TDCAA. The Ulpana Knights play in the private school league. Or Chaim also has a soccer team, a cross country squad and runs basketball intramurals during lunch time, which is organized by the convenor. Ulpana has a volleyball team and a cross-country team. Every year the schools send a team to run the Jerusalem marathon. They fundraise money for the organization SHALVA.