Johnny was signed up to spend a week learning in Yeshiva this May. In his honor, we're going to Yeshiva right here at the CYP House. Join an immersive five-Sunday learning fellowship with a capstone day at 770 Eastern Parkway — Chabad World HQ.
No Hebrew requiredNo background requiredNo judgment
$180 all-in · scholarships available · cohort capped at 24
What it is
A five-week adult learning fellowship.
Five Sundays of in-person learning and a capstone trip to 770. Johnny was signed up to go to Yeshiva in Crown Heights this May — we're bringing that experience here, for the people he loved. For Jewish adults in their 20s & 30s, no matter where you're starting from.
No Hebrew requiredNo background requiredNo judgment
When
5 weeks
May 31 – June 28
Format
4 + 1
class Sundays · capstone trip
Hours
10 AM – 2 PM
brunch included
Cost
$180
scholarships available
Cohort
24 fellows
first-come, first-served
Get
All books
+ trip to 770
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Jonathan "Johnny" Ellis A″H יונתן בן ישראל ע״ה Johnny studying at the 770 Yeshiva · April 14, 2026
In his memory
Johnny was a rock of CYP. He showed up. He learned. He brought people in. He believed Jewish life isn't something you watch — it's something you do.
The Johnny Yeshiva Program is the community's way of keeping that fire burning — in his name, for the people he loved.
The arc · five weeks
Five Sundays, one trip to 770.
Built around real adult life. Five immersive Sunday sessions, leading up to a capstone day in Crown Heights — the trip Johnny was looking forward to.
01
Sunday · May 31Class
Welcome + My Prayer
In-person
02
Sunday · June 7Class
Torah & Chassidic Philosophy
In-person
03
Sunday · June 14Class
Shabbat + Kashrut
In-person
04
Sunday · June 21Dinner & Class
Joy + Relationships
In-person
05
Sunday · June 28Trip day
The Trip to 770
Capstone
Class Sundays: 9:30 AM optional Hebrew · 10 AM – 2 PM main session · brunch included.
770
The capstone
A day at 770.
We close out at 770 Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn — the world headquarters of Chabad. Daven in the Rebbe's shul. Walk through Crown Heights with a guide. Lunch with the cohort. Optional visit to the Ohel.
3,500+
Chabad centers worldwide
100+
countries served
1
place it all started
This is for you if
You're curious.
✓
You're Jewish, somewhere in your 20s or 30s, and you've been meaning to "get into" your tradition.
✓
You'd be embarrassed to admit you don't know what the Amidah is — and you'd rather just learn it in a room of friends.
✓
You loved Johnny — or wish you had — and you want to honor him by doing the kind of thing he loved.
No prior knowledge required. No pressure. Just real Torah, real friends, real food.
The FAQ
Common questions.
Do I need to know any Hebrew?+
Not a single letter. There's an optional 9:30 AM pre-class Hebrew session every Sunday for fellows building literacy from zero. It starts with the alphabet on a whiteboard. By the trip to 770, you'll be reading. Skip it entirely if you don't want it — the main 10:30 session never assumes Hebrew.
Do I need to be religious?+
No. The program is built for the full range — from people who've never been inside a shul to people who grew up Modern Orthodox and want a Chassidic perspective. There's just Jews on different parts of the same journey.
Can I miss a Sunday?+
Yes. Real life happens. We record audio of each session and the rabbi will catch you up before the next class if you ask. The only Sunday you really shouldn't miss is the trip on June 28 — the bus leaves at 8 AM and there's no make-up day.
Is it really $180? What's the catch?+
It's really $180 for the full program — books, brunch every class Sunday, lunch in Crown Heights, the bus, the tour, all of it. The actual cost is several times that; the difference is subsidized by the Johnny Ellis Memorial Fund. If $180 is a stretch, email us — no-questions-asked scholarships, nobody turned away.
What books will I get?+
A Hebrew/English Tehillat Hashem siddur (the standard Chabad prayer-book), the Tanya in English with commentary ("Lessons in Tanya"), an English Pirkei Avos, and a workbook for the Hebrew sessions. All yours to keep.
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Sign up
Open a door.
Cohort capped at 24. Registration closes May 20. Books ship in late May. We start May 31.
Cohort 01 status
17 of 24 seats left
First-come, first-served. Registration closes when the cohort fills.
Finances shouldn't hold you back from studying Torah — click HERE for a scholarship.