Mir Yeshiva (Yeshivas Mir Yerushalayim)

It would have to be the right type. Very intense environment.

Tons. Not necessarily to "Medinat Yisrael", but specifically to Israeli Charedi society. Through this, was able to understand/relate to another part of Klal Yisrael, and ironically relate to a fuller range of Israeli culture.

Some, by schmoozing with people at lunch.

Not many free evenings. The pressure was for married guys to be going to night seder, in bais medrish near their home, for at least an hour or 2. Realistically, getting home to Har Nof at 8 PM each night, with my wife working until 3 PM and taking care of children, this was not so realistic for our family. We quietly made the family decision not to pursue an "official night seder". Most nights were filled with doing dishes, cleaning up the house, and spending a few spare minutes with my wife. When my rebbe found out, he offered to sponsor "a one-man Kollel", i.e. giving me a small check to commit to learn in a Bais Medrish near home at night. I declined. However, that inspired me to make time to learn at home a bit each night.

You can definitely go under the radar. Guys are coming from prior yeshivas, not starting until at least age 21. Most guys are married, and doing their own thing. However, if you make an effort, you can definitely make a kesher with rabbeim, and receive incredible hadracha.

Was never directly pressured for anything. No one gets upset at you being late for first seder. They have a "9:30 rule". If you're late, you run the risk of losing your seat. No one ever said "wear a white shirt", but you don't want to be the one guy in a bais medrish of 800+ wearing something different. There's no rebbe telling you to stop schmoozing and get back to learning. However, you can barely hear your chavrusa next to you. It's a very loud learning environment. You would never want to schmooze. The environment is such that the learning is super inspiring, you wouldn't want to schmooze during seder.

You need a "Kosher phone" to enroll in yeshiva (not data, or even texting). Apartments are officially not supposed to have Wifi. As a married guy, we had Wifi, and it was a personal decision. But it's not in the culture of the yeshiva, or part of the conversation. No one is bashing smartphones, but nobody has them (at least publicly).

Tons. At least 3 years advanced yeshiva learning before hand.

1.5 hours for lunch, 1.5 hours for dinner.

Great!

Most guys do not live in the dorms. There's apartments in nearby areas, mostly in Bais Yisroel and Arzei Habirah. Married guys live in "the tri-state area"... AKA Ramat Eshkol, Ma'alot Dafna, and Sanhedria-Merchevet. These areas have strong concentration of American/British Kollel couples, most of them staying 1-5 years. But there are some that stay, and many Charedi Israeli families living there as well.

Not much. 8,500 guys in a few blocks is tight. 800+ guys in 4th floor Bais Yeshaya ("the American Bais Medrish). Lunch time, thousands of people served in 20 minutes. A lot of Israeli type pushing/shoving. But this was incredible. Sitting next to someone new each day, talking in Hebrew, about the sugya. You don't have anything else in common with these guys. This taught me "Torah is the National language of the Jewish People". Was always inspiring.

It stayed.

Not much. Gemara and meforshim develop through osmosis. No official learning program to learn Hebrew.

Spoke in English for the majority of the day.

Significant amount.

Not much.

Fairly well.

Not necessarily in Mir. But from Har Nof where we lived. Relationships were built on, and have continued with Talmud Torah as the foundation of the friendship.

The learning was incredible. Literally Har Sinai on Planet Earth.

Exactly what I expected.

I learn the daf, and love learning.

Yes. I can't say I do as much Iyun as I did in my yeshiva years. But it grew my ahavas haTorah tremendously from where it already was. Yeshiva gave me the drive (almost pressure) and confidence to finish the masechta during b'kius seder. Translated into Daf Yomi, which I excitedly do in post-yeshiva years, even when nobody else is around, and I am not in a pressuring learning environment.

A lot. Not directly. But the intensity of the environment pushes you in ways that are very different from the typical American learning environment. Even for an American yeshivish boy. All the more so, someone from a Modox background.

Significant amount. Rebbe was very pressuring. Wanted us to stay. Not just in Israel, but continue learning in Kollel for a few more years. Was disappointed to see me return to Chutz La'aretz, even to teach Torah. But have BH kept in touch via email the past 6 years. We are still very close.