Etz Chaim Yeshiva was a "Lithuanian" Orthodox ''

yeshiva A yeshiva (; he, ישיבה, , sitting; pl. , or ) is a traditional Jewish educational institution focused on the study of Rabbinic literature, primarily the Talmud and halacha (Jewish law), while Torah and Jewish philosophy a ...

'', now advanced ''

kollel A kollel ( he, כולל, , , a "gathering" or "collection" f scholars is an institute for full-time, advanced study of the Talmud and rabbinic literature. Like a yeshiva, a kollel features shiurim (lectures) and learning ''sedarim'' (sessions); ...

'', in Golders Green,

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

. It operated as a yeshiva from the early 1900s through the 1990s, when it repositioned to function as the latter. It has several prominent alumni including Commonwealth Chief Rabbis

Immanuel Jakobovits Immanuel Jakobovits, Baron Jakobovits (8 February 192131 October 1999) was the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth from 1967 to 1991. Prior to this, he had served as Chief Rabbi of Ireland and as rabbi of the Fi ...

and

Jonathan Sacks Jonathan Henry Sacks, Baron Sacks ( he, יונתן הנרי זקס, translit=Yona'tan Henry Zaks; 8 March 19487 November 2020) was an English Orthodox rabbi, philosopher, theologian, and author. Sacks served as the Chief Rabbi of the United ...

History

The yeshiva was founded in about 1900 in London's

East End The East End of London, often referred to within the London area simply as the East End, is the historic core of wider East London, east of the Roman and medieval walls of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It does not have uni ...

, where it occupied a campus on Thrawl Street; Rabbi Aharon Hyman was one of the founders. Rabbi Joseph Green was the first

Rosh Yeshiva Rosh yeshiva ( he, ראש ישיבה, pl. he, ראשי ישיבה, '; Anglicized pl. ''rosh yeshivas'') is the title given to the dean of a yeshiva, a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primar ...

, and Rabbi Moshe Yitzchak Segal, later Rosh Yeshiva in Manchester, served as ''

mashgiach ruchani A mashgiach ruchani ( he, משגיח רוחני; pl., ''mashgichim ruchani'im'') or mashgicha ruchani – sometimes mashgiach/mashgicha for short – is a spiritual supervisor or guide. He or she is usually a rabbi who has an official position wit ...

''. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, Rabbi

Abraham Isaac Kook Abraham Isaac Kook (; 7 September 1865 – 1 September 1935), known as Rav Kook, and also known by the acronym HaRaAYaH (), was an Orthodox rabbi, and the first Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of British Mandatory Palestine. He is considered to be one o ...

was associated with the Yeshiva during his stay in London. Rabbi

Nachman Shlomo Greenspan Rabbi Nachman Shlomo Greenspan ( he, נחמן שלמה גרינשפן; 1878 – August 1961) was a Talmudic scholar, rosh yeshiva of Etz Chaim in London, and an author of a number of works about the Torah.__NOTOC__ Early years Greenspan was born i ...

succeeded Rabbi Green as ''

rosh yeshiva Rosh yeshiva ( he, ראש ישיבה, pl. he, ראשי ישיבה, '; Anglicized pl. ''rosh yeshivas'') is the title given to the dean of a yeshiva, a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primar ...

'' from 1918 to 1961. During this period, Rabbi

Elyah Lopian Eliyahu Lopian (1876 – 21 September 1970), known as Reb Elyah, was a leading rabbi of the Musar movement, Mussar Movement. As a disciple of the Kelm Talmud Torah method, he was known for his strictness with respect to order and self-control. B ...

was ''mashgiach ruchani'' from 1926 - 1950. Rabbi

Leib Gurwicz Aryeh Ze'ev (Leib) Gurwicz (1906–20 October 1982) was an influential Orthodox rabbi and Talmudic scholar. He was the son-in-law of Rabbi Elyah Lopian and best known as Rosh Yeshiva of the Gateshead Yeshiva in Gateshead, England, where he taught ...

, the latter's son in law and future Rosh Yeshiva at

Gateshead Gateshead () is a large town in northern England. It is on the River Tyne's southern bank, opposite Newcastle to which it is joined by seven bridges. The town contains the Millennium Bridge, The Sage, and the Baltic Centre for Contemporary ...

, taught in the Yeshiva in the 1940s. Rabbi Hirsch Neumann taught in the yeshiva in the 1920s Rabbi Greenspan was succeeded by Rabbi Noson Ordman (1906-1996). Moshe Musman (1996)
A Telzer In Europe: HaRav Nosson Ordman zt'l
''Deiah veDibur'' Born in Tavrik, Lithuania, Rabbi Ordman was a 14 year alumnus of Telz Yeshiva; he came to London in 1936, and headed ''Etz Chaim'' for more than 50 years. From 1976 through the early 1980's Rabbi Aharon Pfeuffer led the Yeshiva alongside Rabbi Ordman. In the 1960's the yeshiva had experienced a decline, with students drawn to Israeli and American yeshivas. Under Rabbi Pfeuffer, however, the Yeshiva saw a re-invigoration, attracting British ''talmidim'' studying at Israeli Yeshivas, particularly

Mir ''Mir'' (russian: Мир, ; ) was a space station that operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, operated by the Soviet Union and later by Russia. ''Mir'' was the first modular space station and was assembled in orbit from 1986 to&n ...

and

Hebron Hebron ( ar, الخليل or ; he, חֶבְרוֹן ) is a Palestinian. city in the southern West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Nestled in the Judaean Mountains, it lies above sea level. The second-largest city in the West Bank (after East J ...

. The yeshivah continued thereafter with several dozen students. In the 1990's it relocated to Bridge Ln, Golders Green; at the same time it was repositioned so as to function as a specialized

bet midrash A ''beth midrash'' ( he, בית מדרש, or ''beis medrash'', ''beit midrash'', pl. ''batei midrash'' "House of Learning") is a hall dedicated for Torah study, often translated as a "study hall." It is distinct from a synagogue (''beth kness ...

comprising several advanced

s and ''chaburahs'' — focusing separately on ''

Choshen Mishpat Choshen Mishpat is the Hebrew for "Breastplate of Judgement". The term is associated with one of the four sections of Rabbi Jacob ben Asher's compilation of halakha (Jewish law), Arba'ah Turim. This section treats aspects of Jewish law pertinent to ...

'', ''

Yoreh Deah Yoreh De'ah ( he, יורה דעה) is a section of Rabbi Jacob ben Asher's compilation of halakha (Jewish law), Arba'ah Turim around 1300. This section treats all aspects of Jewish law not pertinent to the Hebrew calendar, finance, torts, marriage, ...

'', ''

Seder Tohorot ''Tohorot'' (Hebrew: טָהֳרוֹת, literally "Purities") is the sixth and last order of the Mishnah (also of the Tosefta and Talmud). This order deals with the clean/unclean distinction and family purity. This is the longest of the orders in t ...

'', and in depth '' Amud Yomi'' — and was headed by Rabbi Zvi Rabi until he passed away in 2020. Etz Chaim Kollel profile
/ref> Its regular ''

minyan In Judaism, a ''minyan'' ( he, מניין \ מִנְיָן ''mīnyān'' , lit. (noun) ''count, number''; pl. ''mīnyānīm'' ) is the quorum of ten Jewish adults required for certain religious obligations. In more traditional streams of Jud ...

'' is associated with the

Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations The Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations is an umbrella organisation of Haredi Jewish communities in London, and has an estimated membership of over 6,000. It was founded in 1926, with the stated mission "to protect traditional Judaism", and ha ...

Notable alumni

* Commonwealth Chief Rabbi

* Dayan

Pinchas Toledano Dr Pinchas Toledano (פנחס טולידאנו) is Hakham-Emeritus (Chief Rabbi) of Amsterdam and of the Spanish and Portuguese Jews of the Netherlands. He was also the official ''Av Beit Din'', head of the court, of the Netherlands '' Beit Din''. ...

, Chief Rabbi of the Netherlands and Amsterdam ''

Av Beit Din The ''av beit din'' ( ''ʾabh bêth dîn'', "chief of the court" or "chief justice"), also spelled ''av beis din'' or ''abh beth din'' and abbreviated ABD (), was the second-highest-ranking member of the Sanhedrin during the Second Temple period, ...

'' *Rabbi

Louis Isaac Rabinowitz Louis Rabinowitz (Hebrew: לואיס רבינוביץ 1984–1906) was an Orthodox rabbi, historian and philologist of the 20th century. Biography Louis Isaac Rabinowitz was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, descendant of a long lineage of Lithuani ...

, Chief Rabbi of South Africa *Rabbi Sinaj Adler, Chief Rabbi of

Ashdod Ashdod ( he, ''ʾašdōḏ''; ar, أسدود or إسدود ''ʾisdūd'' or '' ʾasdūd'' ; Philistine: 𐤀𐤔𐤃𐤃 *''ʾašdūd'') is the sixth-largest city in Israel. Located in the country's Southern District, it lies on the Mediterran ...

*Dayan Shemuel Bibas, Bet Din for Monetary Cases Jerusalem, and author o
''halachik'' works
*Daya
Ivan Binstock

London Beth Din The London Beth Din (LBD) is the Ashkenazi Beth Din of the United Synagogue, the largest Ashkenazi synagogal body in London, England. In its capacity as ''Court of the Chief Rabbi'', it is historically the supreme halakhic Authority for Ashkenaz ...

* Rabbi

Kopul Rosen Rabbi Dr Yaacov Kopul Rosen (1913–1962) was an important anglo-Jewish rabbi and educationalist. In 1946 he testified before the Anglo-American Commission of Inquiry on Palestine, asking them not to "play politics with the remnants of the Jewish ...

, Principal Rabbi of the

Federation of Synagogues The Federation of Synagogues is a British Jewish organisation with headquarters in Hendon, London. It comprises a network of 19 constituent and seven affiliated communities. As well as looking after its member synagogues , the Federation has a beis ...

* Rabb
Stanley Abramovitch

American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, also known as Joint or JDC, is a Jewish relief organization based in New York City. Since 1914 the organisation has supported Jewish people living in Israel and throughout the world. The organization i ...

Jeffrey Maynard (2020)
The Etz Chaim Yeshiva in Thrawl Street, London
/ref> * Rabbi

Harry Freedman Harry Freedman (''Henryk Frydmann''), (April 5, 1922 – September 16, 2005) was a Canadian composer, English hornist, and music educator of Polish birth. He wrote a significant amount of symphonic works, including the scores to films such as '' T ...

, translator of several volumes of the "Soncino Talmud" and "Soncino ''Midrash Rabbah''". * Tzvi Yaron,

Religious Zionist Religious Zionism ( he, צִיּוֹנוּת דָּתִית, translit. ''Tziyonut Datit'') is an ideology that combines Zionism and Orthodox Judaism. Its adherents are also referred to as ''Dati Leumi'' ( "National Religious"), and in Israel, the ...

philosopher * Dr Shlomo Adler, GPArticle in Mishpacha Magazine: Accompanied by the healing angels
/ref>

References

Orthodox yeshivas in the United Kingdom Haredi Judaism in Europe Orthodox Judaism in London Haredi yeshivas {{Yeshiva-stub

History

Notable alumni

See also

References