Yeshiva Darchei Torah

Yeshiva Darchei Torah is a private Orthodox Jewish boys' school in Far Rockaway, Queens, New York, United States.

History
The yeshiva was founded by Rabbi Yisroel Bloom and is headed by Rabbi Yaakov Bender, an award-winning educator.

There are parents who graduated from it on the board of directors. The Yeshiva celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2023.

The school had 1,400 students in 2008 which later grew to over 2,500 enrolled students in pre-kindergarten through post-high school seminary.

On May 16, 2018, United States Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos became the first high-profile federal government official to visit a yeshiva, which was a two-day visit to Yeshiva Darchei Torah and to another school, a girls’ high school in Manhattan, called Manhattan High School for Girls. The visit was organized by the Agudath Israel of America organization.

In May 2024, Darchei Torah began construction on a new, 94,000-square-foot set of buildings that will include its first state-of-the-art residence hall, a new beis medrash (study hall) for its high school, and 15 classrooms.

Elementary
The school's lower grades have grade-appropriate studies for both religious and secular subjects, supplemented by a library and a schoolwide literacy program. While most students benefit from the school's STEM offerings, Darchei's "policy of inclusion for some special-needs children" makes its special education wing an important component.

High school
Although the high school curriculum offers nine Advanced Placement classes and Regents exams, it also has "a vocational program for students who are struggling in a traditional academic program."

In June 2019, United States Ambassador to Israel David M. Friedman toured the yeshiva campus, including the Weiss Vocational Center, which had him in awe: "If I were still in yeshiva, I would be running to this very special and educational program, it's really a special thing and a big Kiddush Hashem".

The upper grade unit, which is named Mesivta Chaim Shlomo of Yeshiva Darchei Torah, encourages its students to participate in the science competition that is a part of the Center for Initiatives in Jewish Education (CJIE).

Senior divisions
The school also comprises a post-high school rabbinical college, Beis Medrash Heichal Dovid, and a postgraduate kollel, Kollel Tirtza Devorah, for married scholars.

Student body
Despite the school's Ashkenaz orientation, it serves a growing population of Sephardic families as well, offers a weekly Sephardic minyan (prayer service), and hosts annual visits of a Sephardic rabbi, Yaakov Moshe Hillel, who has been visiting Darchei since 2004.

Name
There are other (out of state) institutions using the name Darchei.

The words Darchei Torah mean "Paths of Torah."