Bnei Akiva Schools of Toronto
The Bnei Akiva Schools of Toronto (BAS Toronto) consist of two Modern Orthodox Jewish high schools, namely Ulpanat Orot girls school (Hebrew: אולפנת אורות) and Yeshivat Or Chaim boys school (Hebrew: ישיבת אור חיים) that are affiliated with Bnei Akiva, located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
| Yeshivat Or Chaim & Ulpanat Orot | |
|---|---|
 BAS Toronto logo | |
| Address | |
| |
Or Chaim – 159 Almore Ave., M3H 2H9 Ulpanat Orot – 45 Canyon Ave., M3H 3S4 , Canada | |
| Information | |
| School type | Jewish Private |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Modern Orthodox, Religious Zionism |
| Founded | Yeshivat Or Chaim (1973) Ulpanat Orot (1975) |
| Head of School | Rabbi Dr. Seth Grauer |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Language | English, Hebrew |
| Colour(s) | Blue, Gold, White |
| Team name | YOC Knights, UO Knights |
| Website | www |
| Last updated: 2020 | |
Educational philosophy
Yeshivat Or Chaim (founded 1973) and Ulpanat Orot (founded 1975) identify with the religious Zionist movement. Students are encouraged to regard Israel as the center of their spiritual and religious lives, and to spend the year after graduating learning in Israel at religious higher learning institutions. Yeshivat Or Chaim is the only Bnei Akiva yeshiva located outside of Israel.
Curriculum
Both schools have a dual curriculum of Judaic and general studies for grades 9 through 12. General studies classes are held in English, and Hebrew studies classes are taught in both English and Hebrew.
Additional programs
Chessed Program: Bnei Akiva Schools has been running a charity program since the beginning of its establishment, named after "Chesed"; from the Hebrew חסד "kindness. Activities have included "Pink Day", involving charity and wearing pink, for the sake of breast cancer awareness.[1]
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 and compete in basketball and volleyball. Ulpana also offers one-day soccer and tennis tournaments to compete representing the Knights or competing in single or double games, respectively. Or Chaim also has a soccer team, a cross country squad and runs basketball intramurals during lunchtime, which is organized by the convenor. During the 2015–2016, 2016–2017 and 2017–2018 school years the schools had sent a team to run the Jerusalem Marathon for the organization SHALVA. Starting in the 2018–2019 school year the schools will be sending a team to run in the Jerusalem marathon to fundraise for Tikva, to rehabilitate injured soldiers.
Post High School
Following four years at Bnei Akiva Schools, many students attend Yeshivot and Seminaries in Israel for a gap year. Some of these institutions include Yeshivat Torat Shraga, Yeshivat Torah V'Avodah, Yeshivat HaKotel, Yeshivat Har Etzion, Yeshivat Sha'arei Mevaseret Tzion, Yeshivat Orayta, Yeshivat Reishit and Yeshivat Lev HaTorah.
