In a historic expansion for one of the world’s premier Chabad yeshivos, Oholei Torah of Crown Heights has announced the acquisition of 402 Eastern Parkway, a major $16 million purchase that will serve as the future home of a new yeshiva campus for bochurim.

The announcement was shared in connection with Gimmel Tammuz and marks a significant step forward for the chinuch of Lubavitcher bochurim and for the broader Chabad Lubavitch community around the world.

Located at the prominent corner of Eastern Parkway and Bedford Avenue, just three blocks from the current Oholei Torah campus and a short walk from 770 Eastern Parkway, the newly acquired building currently spans approximately 58,000 square feet and has the potential to expand to 80,000 square feet under existing zoning.

The campus is being developed as a major world class makom Torah, designed to serve bochurim from the years following Mesivta until marriage, with a full yeshiva environment dedicated to Limud HaTorah, Chassidus, personal growth, and preparation for a life of shlichus, rabbonus, chinuch, and leadership.

A Global Yeshiva With Global Impact

Founded with the Rebbe’s direct involvement and support, Oholei Torah has grown over the past seven decades into one of the leading Chabad educational institutions in the world. Its student body is truly global, with talmidim coming from 46 countries and 212 cities to learn in Crown Heights.

That global reach continues long after the talmidim leave yeshiva. Graduates of Oholei Torah have gone on to serve as shluchim, rabbonim, mechanchim, mashpiim, and community leaders in communities across the world. Today, seventy percent of the Rebbe’s shluchim around the globe are alumni of Oholei Torah, carrying the values of Torah, Chassidus, and mitzvos to Jewish communities on every continent.

The new campus reflects that dual global mission. It will welcome talmidim from around the world, and it will prepare them to go out and impact the Jewish world.

“This is not simply a building acquisition,” said Rabbi Yehoshua Lustig, Menahel K’lali of Oholei Torah. “This is an investment in the next generation of shluchim, rabbonim, mechanchim, and community leaders. Oholei Torah has always been a global yeshiva, and this campus will allow us to build a world class makom Torah that matches the needs of today’s bochurim and the responsibility we carry for the future.”

A Full Makom Torah Until Marriage

The new campus will allow Oholei Torah to significantly expand and strengthen its Beis Medrash division under the leadership of Rabbi Elchonon Lesches and Rabbi Nison Deitsch.

At the heart of the campus will be three expansive Batei Medrash, complemented by state of the art yeshiva amenities, including ample shiur rooms, mashpia offices, a comprehensive Torah library, a beautiful mikvah, kitchen and dining space, and other facilities designed to support every aspect of a bochur’s growth.

Beyond meeting the current needs of the yeshiva, the campus responds to a larger need within the Lubavitch community: creating a structured, serious, and warm makom Torah where bochurim can continue growing beyond the traditional yeshiva years, including bochurim over the age of 20. The campus will allow for expanded opportunities for bochurim to continue their growth in a dedicated yeshiva environment, offering advanced tracks in Gemara, Chassidus, Halacha, Semichah, and Dayanus, along with practical preparation for rabbonus, chinuch, and family life.

For shidduch age bochurim, the campus will provide more than a place to learn. It will offer a continued yeshiva environment, guidance from mashpiim and mentors, and a place where a bochur can remain settled, connected, and supported until marriage, while continuing to build a strong foundation for the next stage of life.

“A bochur who enters Oholei Torah should feel settled, cared for, and supported in every stage of his growth,” said Rabbi Mendel Blau, Roish Moissed. “Our goal is that he knows he always has a makom Torah, a place where he can remain connected, continue growing, and build a strong foundation for the future.”

A Major Step in Oholei Torah’s Seventieth Year

The acquisition comes during Oholei Torah’s seventieth year, a milestone year that has highlighted the yeshiva’s extraordinary growth and its ongoing responsibility to serve the Crown Heights community and the global Chabad Lubavitch community.

As Lubavitch has grown over the past several decades, Oholei Torah has continued to grow with it. Under the leadership of its dedicated Board of Directors, and with the support of generous donors and friends, the yeshiva has purchased additional properties and creatively utilized every available inch of space to meet the needs of a rapidly growing student body.

“Over the years, we have often found ourselves playing a game of Tetris, the Oholei Torah version,” said Rabbi Lustig. “Whenever a division grew, we found a way to create room. Each building acquisition benefited the entire yeshiva, but it was usually a short period of breathing room until the space filled up again.”

Applications to the Beis Medrash continue to rise, with year over year growth averaging ten percent over the past decade. Current enrollment in the Beis Medrash stands at approximately 485 bochurim, with more than 630 applications received for the coming year.

At 58,000 square feet, with the potential to expand to 80,000 square feet, the new campus is larger than any Oholei Torah acquisition in decades. Once completed, it will also free up much needed space on the main campus, allowing for expanded early childhood programming and continued enhancement of the Cheder and Preschool divisions.

Investing in People, Not Only Space

While the new campus will provide much needed space, Oholei Torah’s leadership emphasized that the true strength of a yeshiva is its people.

“Space alone does not create a great yeshiva. People do,” Rabbi Blau said. “Baruch Hashem, Oholei Torah has already attracted outstanding maggidei shiur, mashpiim, meshivim, and hanhola members, and we continue to seek exceptional people who can help us care for each individual talmid.”

In addition, beginning this coming year, a select group of kollel yungeleit will be learning daily in the Batei Medrash. Beyond their own learning, these yungeleit will serve as mentors and role models, readily available to learn with, guide, and support the bochurim through warm, personal relationships. The initiative will be led by newly appointed Rabbi Levi Lebowitz.

A Living Mission

Oholei Torah carries a living mission: to provide chinuch al taharas hakodesh and Limud HaTorah at the highest level, infused with Ahavas Hashem, Ahavas Yisroel, Ahavas HaTorah, and a Lechatchila Ariber mindset.

The new yeshiva campus represents the next major step in that mission, creating a permanent, world class center of Torah and Chassidus for the next generation of Lubavitcher bochurim.

A major campaign supporting the campus will launch in the coming months. Those who wish to be part of this historic project are invited to visit oholeitorah.com/rabbinicalcampus to connect with Oholei Torah about partnership opportunities.