For centuries, the burning, heartfelt desire to engage in Torah study forced many people to confront a perplexing question: How could the yearning for intensive, full-time learning meet the demands of family life? The solution came in the form of community-based kollelim, institutions that permitted complete devotion to the pursuit of Torah. To this day, virtually all kollelim remain loyal to the "Torah only" creed as their members dedicate themselves exclusively to religious study.

But a rapidly expanding program at the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, an affiliate of Yeshiva University, is revolutionizing the mission of the modern-day kollel. The Bella and Harry Wexner Kollel Elyon, now in its fourth year, and the Israel Henry Beren Institute, entering its fifth year, represents a dynamic shift in the approach to the traditional kollel. Both programs combine conventional rabbinic learning with weekly professional courses in fields such as counseling, written and oral communication, conflict resolution, and business ethics - training that is essential to future careers in the rabbinate.

"This is an investment in Jewish continuity and scholarship," declared Rabbi Chaim Eisenstein, a member of the Beren Institute.

The Kollel Elyon is singularly unique, Eisenstein asserted, due to its "very high level of learning" and the "degree of closeness" the scholars achieve with their rebbeim. Rabbi Mordechai Willig and Michael Rosensweig, each a Rosh HaYeshiva at RIETS, and who supervise, respectively, the Wexner and Beren programs meet weekly with kollel scholars for in-depth shiurim and are available for private meetings. Members are required to learn three regular sedarim a day, and present their own lectures before the entire kollel twice annually. In addition, scholars prepare relevant topics in contemporary halacha for lectures in communities across the country. Because the program is relatively small in size - 16 scholars comprise both programs - a spirit of purpose and friendship unites the diverse cadre of scholars. "It's really special," enthused Rabbi Shmuel Hain, a member of the Wexner program.

Though joined by a common mission - to produce an elite group of erudite, committed scholars - the respective programs differ in length and approach. The Beren program runs for three years and focuses on chinuch (educational) training, while its Wexner counterpart lasts four years and concentrates on preparation for the rabbinate. While attendance at the weekly professional classes is mandatory for all Wexner scholars, members of the Beren program are not required to enroll in this track, though many elect to take at least some of the courses. For those Kollel members required to juggle dual course loads, the task is sometimes formidable. Hain acknowledged, "It's hard to be in a six-day-a-week program," and maximizes his time by developing course assignment from a Torah perspective, usually from a topic he explored through religious study.

Rabbi Zevulun Charlop, Dean of RIETS and a key member of the Kollel's selection committee, emphasized that the professional curriculum was devised "so that it will never impinge on the limudei kodesh (Jewish studies)." Rabbi Charlop confirmed that several Roshei Yeshiva helped formulate the curriculum along with Dr. Irving Levitz, a leading psychologist and chief architect of the professional track, so that the religious and academic obligations would exist on the same wavelength. "I think the proper balance has been struck," agreed Eisenstein.

If striking a delicate balance between religious and professional study seems challenging, determining who is actually admitted to the Kollel Elyon is even harder. The process of selection is complex and involves high-level members of Yeshiva's personnel. No solicitations are made, and any student is eligible to apply to the prestigious Kollel. After a preliminary screening by Rabbi Charlop, each candidate is put through a series of rigorous bechinot (examinations) by the four Roshei Kollel - Rabbis Mordechai Willig, Michael Rosensweig, David Bleich and Herschel Schachter - as well as a general exam by Rabbi Boruch Shulman, who gives regular bechinot to yeshiva students. These examinations are conducted independently and are subject to the proctor's own style and criteria. Rabbi Charlop acknowledged that "great disparities" exist between these bechinot, to the effect that the scores for prospective Kollel members differ widely from one Rosh Kollel to the next. Nevertheless, Rabbi Charlop cited scholarship, oratory skill and confidence as some basic qualities that are used as indicators.

Based on their impressions of the applicant's performance and skill level, the Roshei Kollel individually assign a numerical ranking to each candidate. This ranking is used to distinguish the candidates from one another. Candidates with the highest ranking (in this case, the lowest numerical grade) are accepted according to the number of openings in the Kollel. Before acceptances are announced, Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm, President and Rosh HaYeshiva of Yeshiva University, reviews the comprehensive ranking and can override the panel's initial recommendations. Pending this review, candidates who are approved by the committee of Roshei Kollel and Rabbi Charlop are inducted into the Kollel Elyon.

Each Kollel member must also complete a mandatory work-service requirement in a chinuch-related field at the conclusion of his religious study. The three-year assignment, which must be served in America, ensures commitment on the part of the scholars to a career that fits the mission of the Kollel Elyon. "It's important that we give back to the community," insisted Eisenstein, who is pursuing a masters degree in psychology from Columbia University. Subject to approval by Rabbi Charlop, members may choose a vocation of their own liking.

A major benefit of joining the Kollel Elyon is the handsome financial compensation each member receives during his stay. Based on surveys conducted by Yeshiva College's Dean Norman Adler, Kollel members receive a stipend commensurate with the salaries paid out by the nation's top institutions for post-graduate work. This figure - an excess of $30,000 - helps the scholars "learn without having to worry about the financial well-being" of their families, explained Hain. In exchange, scholars may not pursue any other line work while enrolled in the Kollel. "It's quid pro quo," he said.

As American Jewry becomes increasingly sensitive to religious matters, it is more important than ever to produce "talented people in the Rabbinate" who are armed with the scholarly and practical skills necessary to play influential roles in communal life, said Hain, who will earn a degree in Jewish History from YU's Bernard Revel School of Jewish Studies this spring. In light of today's alarming growth in assimilation rates and general apathy on the part of many American Jews, Eisenstein agreed that there is a need for "charismatic leadership" from the pulpit. "People want authentic knowledge," remarked Rabbi Charlop. "This [Kollel Elyon] allows us to reproduce ourselves and create an enduring Yiddeshkeit."

Closer to home, the Kollel Elyon has also left deep imprints on the university. Many graduates of the Wexner and Beren programs assume leadership roles within the Mazer Yeshiva Program and the Stone Beit Medrash Program. Others infuse the bais medrash with their intensity. "Their presence is unmistakable," exclaimed one YC sophomore. "They're very accessible and always open to questions." For the members of the Kollel Elyon, the future brims with potential - but for now, said Eisenstein, the scholars' primary concern is the present. "I just want to be zocheh to teach Torah," he concluded.