Naaleh College, founded by Rabbi Dr. Hershel Reichman in 2011, was created with a mission to provide opportunity for affordable, accessible, universal education, with a focus on practical skills and education for values. For the last decade, Naaleh has grown and developed into a respected, accredited institution which carries the unique distinction of being the only 100% online, Orthodox Jewish College providing both Jewish and professional education.
As Naaleh enters its second decade, the President, Administration, and Board of Directors have decided to rebrand the institution’s name to better reflect its current identity. Naaleh, Hebrew for ‘let us ascend’, conveyed the message of education as a key to personal growth and development. As the college becomes further established, a new name, Woodmont College, will represent the mission and accomplishments of the institution.
Rabbi Dr. Hershel Reichman, Founder and President of Woodmont College (formerly Naaleh College)
“Rabbi Dr. Holtzberg was a unique Torah personality, whose accomplishments in academia enabled him to create educational initiatives and represent his community in various official capacities. As a scion of Rav Chaim Volozhiner and a great-nephew of the Beis Halevi, Rav Yosef Dov Halev Soloveitchik, ztz”l, Rav Yitzchak Refoel was steeped in Torah scholarship and dedication to the Torah values.”
Woodmont College is named after Rabbi Dr. Yitzchak Refael Holtzberg, a renowned Jewish educator who lived from 1885-1981 in Russia, Lithuania and Israel. Woodmont is a direct translation of the name Holtzberg. As the grandfather of Rabbi Hershel Reichman’s wife, Rabbi Holzberg’s legacy of dedication to academic excellence and Torah values informs and impacts the institution’s mission and identity.
Rabbi Dr. Yitzchak Refael Holtzberg
Rabbi Dr. Holtzberg was a unique Torah personality, whose accomplishments in academia enabled him to create educational initiatives and represent his community in various official capacities. As a scion of Rav Chaim Volozhiner and a great-nephew of the Beis Halevi, Rav Yosef Dov Halev Soloveitchik, ztz”l, Rabbi Yitzchak Refoel was steeped in Torah scholarship and dedication to Torah values. His academic accomplishments as a graduate and teacher at the University of Kharkov placed him at the forefront of Jewish education, and he was asked to travel to Lithuania to found the Yavneh girls’ high school in the city of Telz. This network, the first of its kind in Eastern Europe, created girls’ schools that combined Jewish studies with government-recognized secular education, all conducted in the Hebrew language. It was a direct project of the Telz Yeshiva and the chief Rabbi of Telz, Rav Yosef Leib Bloch. Under Rabbi Dr. Holzberg’s direction, the school expanded into a network of educational institutions spread throughout Lithuania.
Rabbi Dr. Holzberg immigrated to Israel in the early 1930s and became a leader in establishing the religious educational systems in the State of Israel. He received the Israel Prize for Education in 1979. After his retirement, he continued to actively guide teachers through teacher supervision and prolific writing on the topics of pedagogy and education.
Rabbi Dr. Holtzberg was a model for the Woodmont mission of academic excellence, accessible education, and values-based education. The name Woodmont conveys vibrance and growth in education, combined with deep roots, experience, and stability. Just as Naaleh College brought the message of ‘let us ascend’, Woodmont College presents the message of ascension and growth through education. We believe that education, rooted in values and tradition, is the key to personal growth and success.
With our new name, Woodmont College looks forward to further growth as an institution which can provide our students with the opportunities and the means to reach their personal, academic, and professional goals.
You can learn more about Dr. Holtzberg’s life here:
https://www.jta.org/archive/dr-yitzhak-etzion-pioneer-educator-dies-at-96
https://www.jewishgen.org/Yizkor/Telsiai/tel159.html
https://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/Telsiai/tel203.html
The new Woodmont College logo
The new Woodmont College logo for the Bachelor of Arts program
The new Woodmont College logomark
