History

Yeshiva Mercaz HaTorah of Belle Harbor was founded in 1987 by Rabbi Levi Dicker zt”l, a devoted talmid of Rav Aharon Kotler zt’l. Learning under Rav Aharon for eight years, the Rosh Yeshiva acquired the mesorah that he is dedicated to passing on to generations of bochurim.

Yeshiva Mercaz HaTorah has, with great Siyata Dishmaya, blossomed under his care and guidance. The Rosh Yeshiva imparts a passion for Torah and middos tovos through a combination of personal example and inspiring shmuezen. The genuine “varmkeit” which he extends to each and every bochur, as well as his accessibility in the Beis Medrash throughout the day and into the night, ensure that the talmidim develop and retain a profound appreciation for Torah, blended with a genuine simchas hachaim.

Through the Rosh Yeshiva’s influence, an entire generation of bochurim has been motivated towards becoming b’nei Torah and talmidei chachamim.

Rosh HaYeshiva zt’l, Rav Levi Dicker. Born to erhliche Galician immigrants in 1935, his humble Torah beginnings were to belie his future accomplishments. The Rosh HaYeshiva was raised in New York’s Lower East Side and although he learned daily at his grandfather’s side, his earliest exposure to Gemara was at age fourteen when he first attended Yeshiva Rabbeinu Yaakov Yosef. There he learned under Harav Zeidel Epstein
and HaRav Shaya Shemanowitz, zt’l.

The Rosh HaYeshiva’s keen desire to delve into the depths of Torah, coupled with his sharp intellect ensured his rapid rise in limud haTorah.
Thus a Torah giant was born; one who would always appreciate the need to teach bochurim how to learn with clarity and understanding in order to
foster a profound appreciation and love for Torah. In 1956 the Rosh HaYeshiva married his Rebbetzin and they settled in Lakewood, in a day and age where living a kollel life was practically unheard of. Rabbi Yitzchak Wasserman shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Toras Chaim of Denver, recalls learning with the Rosh HaYeshiva b’chavrusa. “He was a very glatt learner, a great thinker and a tremendous masmid with a remarkable clarity in learning.”