Telshe yeshiva
Encyclopedia
Telshe yeshiva was a famous Eastern Europe
an yeshiva
founded in the Lithuanian town of Telšiai
. After World War II
the yeshiva relocated to Wickliffe, Ohio
, in the United States
and is currently known as the Rabbinical College of Telshe, (commonly referred to as Telz Yeshiva or Telz in short.) It is one of the most prominent Haredi
institutions of Torah study
.
("Telshe" in Russian
or "Telz" in Yiddish
) to provide for the religious educational needs of young Jewish men in Telshe and its surrounding towns.
The yeshiva was established by three important Orthodox
rabbis and Talmudists—Rabbi Meir Atlas
, later the Rabbi of Shavel (the Yiddish name for Šiauliai) and the father-in-law of Rabbi Elchonon Wasserman
and Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzensky; Rabbi Zvi Yaakov Oppenheim
, who later became the Rabbi of Kelm
; and Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Abel
, the brother-in-law of Rabbi Shimon Shkop
. They received financial assistance from a Jewish banker in Berlin
, Mr. Ovadyah Lachman.
In 1884, Rabbi Eliezer Gordon
was appointed as both the rav
(head rabbi
) of Telz and its rosh yeshiva
("dean/head of the yeshiva"). Rabbi Gordon was a brilliant Talmudist and expert in Torah law
. A student of Rabbi Yisrael Salanter
, Rabbi Gordon had been appointed by Rabbi Salanter as a maggid shiur
(lecturer) in Rabbi Salanter's yeshiva
at a young age. He also served as rabbi in Kelm
, and for a brief time in Slabodka (a suburb of Kaunas/Kovno known in Lithuanian as Viliampole). Although Rabbi Salanter strongly held that everyone required mussar study, he made an exception for Rav Laizer.
Rabbi Gordon was not satisfied with a yeshiva that served only the younger students in Telz and the vicinity, and set himself to the task of expanding it.
In 1884 Rabbi Gordon added his son-in-law, Rabbi Yosef Leib Bloch to the faculty and in 1885 he acquired the talents of Rabbi Shimon Shkop
.
Both Rabbi Bloch and Rabbi Shkop were innovators in the field of Jewish education, each pioneering new methods and approaches to the study of the Torah
(Hebrew Bible
), Talmud and Halakha
(Jewish law). Together, their methodical formulae set down the foundation for what became known in the world of Torah study as the Telzer Derekh ( the "Telzer approach").
Rabbi Gordon instituted various innovations, which were cause for a rapid increase in the student body. Among them were designating lectures for specific student levels. Whereas other contemporary yeshivas provided one level of study for all students, Telz provided students with lectures commensurate with a student’s age and understanding. When a student’s standard had advanced, he would advance to the next shiur (class-level). The benefits of such a system are self-explanatory and this system was soon integrated into the structure of almost all yeshivas and remains the accepted structure in most yeshivas worldwide. There were five different shiurim at Telz; Rabbi Gordon delivered the highest shiur. Telz was especially noted for its ability to develop its talmidim in lomdus. Rabbi Laizer Yudel Finkel once stated that every talmud student would be best off studying at Telz, where he can develop his learning skills, for two years, and then studying in another yeshiva.
The yeshiva was originally housed in a building provided by the Telz community; however, student numbers increased so dramatically that larger premises were called for. Subsequently, in 1894 the yeshiva moved into a new purpose-built building. In the same year, the yeshiva added a new subject of study - mussar
("Jewish ethics"). Prior to this, the study of mussar had been a students’ personal prerogative; now, it was a part of the yeshiva curriculum. A new faculty position was created: mussar mashgiach
(teacher of ethics). The yeshiva’s first mussar mashgiach was Rabbi Ben Zion Kranitz, a student of Rabbi Simcha Zissel Ziv
. Rabbi Kranitz was very mild mannered, and did not force his students to accept the mussar approach. In 1897, however, Rabbi Gordon engaged a new mussar mashgiach - the dynamic Rabbi Leib Chasman, who instituted a very strict mussar regime in the yeshiva. Many of the students opposed this approach, which caused dissent among the student body. Rabbi Chasman later achieved world renown as the senior mussar mashgiach at the Hebron Yeshiva in Jerusalem.
In 1902, Rabbi Shimon Shkop
left the yeshiva to fill the position of rabbi to the community of Breinsk, Lithuania. In 1905 Rabbi Chaim Rabinowitz
joined the yeshiva to fill the void left by Rabbi Shkop’s departure. Prior to his appointment at Telz, Rabbi Rabinowitz had served as rabbi to the town of Meishad, and later as a maggid shiur ("lecturer") at the Knesses Beis Yitzchak yeshiva in Kovno, Lithuania. As with his predecessor, Rabbi Rabinowitz innovated a unique style of Talmudic analysis, which further added to the yeshiva’s reputation.
In 1910, whilst fundraising for the yeshiva in London, Rabbi Gordon suffered a heart attack and died. His twenty-nine years as head of the yeshiva had seen a small town institution grow into a world famous center of Talmudic study. He had stamped his imprint onto the lives of hundreds of young men, many of whom were great Talmudists in their own right. Among his students were: Rabbi Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman
, Rabbi Elchonon Wasserman
, Rabbi Zvi Pesach Frank and Rabbi Yehezkel Abramsky
and others who in turn left their imprint on Jewish society and culture.
.
Not only was Rabbi Bloch an innovator in the realms of Talmudic analysis, he also possessed a unique approach to Torah study
and Jewish philosophy
. During Rabbi Gordon’s lifetime, Rabbi Bloch had left the yeshiva’s direction to him, however, with his elevation to dean of the yeshiva, Rabbi Bloch was free to guide the school in the direction and manner of his choice.
Rabbi Bloch did not regard his obligation to enhance educational standards as being limited to the yeshiva itself, and in 1920, he established in Telz primary schools for both boys and girls. In the same year, Rabbi Bloch added a mechina
("preparatory school"
) to the yeshiva. Previously, older students would tutor younger students who entered the yeshiva but were not up to the standard of the lowest class. The mechina was structured in the same fashion as the yeshiva itself with four levels of classes commensurate with the different levels of student advancement. At the time, the notion of a yeshiva possessing its own preparatory school was novel. Today, however, it has become an accepted norm, something Rabbi Bloch pioneered.
In addition to studying an easier version of the yeshiva curriculum, the mechina also featured secular studies, another innovation at the time. This was cause for opposition from the ranks of many rabbis, who were unaccustomed to the idea of secular studies occupying a position in any form of yeshiva. In 1924, however, the Lithuanian government announced its decision to accredit only those rabbinical colleges that possessed a secular studies department. The Rabbinical College of Telshe was the only such institute. It is to be stressed, though, that secular studies did not occupy a place in the yeshiva itself, but only in its mechina.
1922 saw the founding of a kollel
("postgraduate institute"), the aim of which was to train graduates for the rabbinate. Admission was not easy; a student had to display great promise and the institute soon became known as an exclusive school for higher studies. Rabbi Chaim Mordechai Katz
, a son-in-law of Rabbi Bloch served as dean (rosh hakollel).
In 1918, a teachers training institute had been established in Kovno; however, the seminary did not achieve much success. The faculty of the academy turned to Rabbi Bloch, renowned for his pedagogical prowess, to take it over, and, in 1925 The Yavneh School for the Training of Teachers reopened in Telz under the auspices of The Rabbinical College of Telshe. This served as a postgraduate institute, with the charter of producing teachers for Jewish schools. The curriculum at the teacher’s institute included educational skills, Hebrew Bible, Talmud, the Hebrew language
and literature and mathematics. The school succeeded in supplying qualified and trained teachers of a high caliber not only to the communities of Lithuania, but also to those of greater Europe.
For many years the Jewish community in Lithuania
had lacked a structured educational system for teenage girls. Rabbi Bloch felt that such a concept was called for and in 1927 a high school department for girls was established in Telshe. The school found immediate praise and support from many rabbis and community leaders who saw the immense value that such an institute had to offer.
In 1930, a sister institute to The Yavneh Teacher’s Training Institute was opened, offering a two year course to young women who wished to enter the field of education. Like its counterpart, the female division of the school succeeded in producing many high quality teachers who branched out across Europe.
These various schools were all incorporated as a part of The Rabbinical College of Telshe. Thus, under Rabbi Bloch’s leadership, the yeshiva grew to include young primary school students through to qualified professionals, ready to embark on careers in the rabbinate and Jewish education.
A committee was established for the publication of the lectures (shiurim) delivered in the yeshiva and subsequently, the lectures of Rabbi Bloch and Rabbi Rabinowitz were circulated and studied in other yeshivas. The popular acceptance of their novellae
in the yeshiva world today, is due much to their circulation in the pre-Holocaust
yeshiva world.
In October 1930, Rabbi Yosef Leib Bloch died, and his second oldest son, Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Bloch
succeeded him as both Rabbi to the community and rosh yeshiva
.
At the time of Rabbi Yosef Leib Bloch’s passing, his son Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Bloch
was only thirty eight years old; however, he had been lecturing in the yeshiva
since 1926 and had already acquired a name as one of the greatest minds in the rabbinic world.
Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Bloch’s two brothers: Rabbi Zalman Bloch and Rabbi Eliyahu Meir Bloch also occupied positions within the yeshiva. All remained dedicated to continuing with their father’s educational methods and approach.
In 1931, a committee was established in the yeshiva for the furtherance of Jewish education. The committee’s goal was to ensure that traditional Jewish education was available to as many Jewish children as possible. The committee saw the organization of schools in small towns where there had previously been little or no structured system of schooling. Older students in the yeshiva were selected to teach for periods of time at these schools, following which, they would return to continue their studies at the yeshiva. In addition to providing many communities at large with new educational options, these schools also gave Telzer students another opportunity for self-development and growth.
Exactly one year and a day after the passing of Rabbi Yosef Leib Bloch, Rabbi Chaim Rabinowitz
died. Following Rabbi Rabinowitz’s death, his son, Rabbi Azriel Rabinowitz
was appointed as a rosh yeshiva. Rabbi Azriel Rabinowitz
was only twenty-six years old and was already an acclaimed illui
("genius").
In 1933, the yeshiva built a new building to house the mechina ("preparatory school"). Until the onset of World War II
, the yeshiva continued to offer traditional Jewish education to all ages. The establishment of schools outside of Telz had furthered this goal.
("small synagogues") led by the rosh yeshivas.
During the early years of World War II, Rabbi Elya Meir Bloch and Rabbi Chaim Mordechai Katz
were in the United States on a fund raising mission. As the war broke out, their only option to ensure the longevity of the Yeshiva was to transfer the whole yeshiva to American soil. In October 1940, a group of students led by Rabbi Chaim Stein escaped from war-ravaged Lithuania as it was overrun by the Nazis. This daring flight took place on the Sabbath. While travel is prohibited on the Sabbath, to save lives, and to escape great peril, one may transgress this prohibition. The original faculty, their families and most of the student body left behind in Europe, were killed in Lithuania by Nazi forces and Lithuanian collaborators.
Escaping to Russia as the war ravaged Eastern Europe, another war was taking place in the Pacific- the very direction that the students led by Rabbi Chaim Stein were headed. The students achieved safe passage via the Trans-Siberian Railroad to the Far East. The group had somehow acquired visas from the renowned Chiune Sugihara
, and became beneficiaries of his admirable action to risk his life so many persons from war-torn Europe were given the opportunity to seek refuge elsewhere in the world.
Shortly after, the students traveled to Australia. Being that there were some students that were British subjects in possession of British passports- such as Rabbi Shlomo Davis, their visas were granted.
Upon arrival in Australia, they were greeted by the small but vibrant Jewish community in Brisbane. As they planned out their next course of action, the group of students reached out to improve the Jewish quality of life amongst the native Australians. Amongst this group was Rabbi Chaim Stein, who today is Rosh Yeshiva in Wickliffe
, Ohio
, Rabbi Shlomo Davis who became a teacher and later a senior administrator for the students registrar, (currently retired and living in Lakewood, New Jersey), and Rabbi Nosson Meir Wachtfogel
, who later became mashgiach ruchani
of Beth Medrash Gevoha in Lakewood
, New Jersey
. This group found their way to the United States in early 1941. Once reunited with their Roshei Yeshiva, Rabbi Elya Meir Bloch and Rabbi Chaim Mordechai Katz, they eventually settled in Cleveland, Ohio.
.
In Cleveland, the yeshiva is officially titled the Rabbinical College of Telshe. It currently consists of a high school, college and post-graduate school. The yeshiva is a non-profit and is accredited through the Association of Advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic Schools. The yeshiva has a department of secular studies that grants a high school diploma.
In the United States, the yeshiva has been led by a distinguished faculty. This includes Rabbi Chaim Mordechai Katz
, Rabbi Boruch Sorotzkin, Rabbi Mordechai Gifter
, Rabbi Chaim Stein, Rabbi Aizik Ausband and Rabbi Pesach Stein
. The yeshiva is currently led by the Rosh Yeshiva
, Rabbi Aizik Ausband. The associate dean and beloved teacher, Rabbi Dovid Barkin
, died December 20, 2006. On June 29, 2011, one of the Roshei Yeshiva, Rabbi Chaim Stein, passed away.
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
an yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
founded in the Lithuanian town of Telšiai
Telšiai
Telšiai , is a city in Lithuania with about 35,000 inhabitants. It is the capital of Telšiai County and Samogitia region, and it is located on Lake Mastis.-Names:...
. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the yeshiva relocated to Wickliffe, Ohio
Wickliffe, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there are 13,484 people, 5,604 households, 3,754 families residing in the city. The population density is 2,898.2 people per square mile . There are 5,787 housing units at an average density of 1,243.8 per square mile...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and is currently known as the Rabbinical College of Telshe, (commonly referred to as Telz Yeshiva or Telz in short.) It is one of the most prominent Haredi
Haredi Judaism
Haredi or Charedi/Chareidi Judaism is the most conservative form of Orthodox Judaism, often referred to as ultra-Orthodox. A follower of Haredi Judaism is called a Haredi ....
institutions of Torah study
Torah study
Torah study is the study by Jewish people of the Torah, Hebrew Bible, Talmud, responsa, rabbinic literature and similar works, all of which are Judaism's religious texts...
.
History
The yeshiva was founded in 1875 in the town of TelšiaiTelšiai
Telšiai , is a city in Lithuania with about 35,000 inhabitants. It is the capital of Telšiai County and Samogitia region, and it is located on Lake Mastis.-Names:...
("Telshe" in Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
or "Telz" in Yiddish
Yiddish language
Yiddish is a High German language of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, spoken throughout the world. It developed as a fusion of German dialects with Hebrew, Aramaic, Slavic languages and traces of Romance languages...
) to provide for the religious educational needs of young Jewish men in Telshe and its surrounding towns.
The yeshiva was established by three important Orthodox
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
rabbis and Talmudists—Rabbi Meir Atlas
Meir Atlas
Meir Atlas was the rabbi of numerous communities in pre-World War II Europe and one of the founders of the Telz Yeshiva. He was an outstanding halachic authority who authored many responsa and was one of the foremost Lithuanian rabbis of his time....
, later the Rabbi of Shavel (the Yiddish name for Šiauliai) and the father-in-law of Rabbi Elchonon Wasserman
Elchonon Wasserman
Elchonon Wasserman was a prominent rabbi and rosh yeshiva in pre-World War II Europe. He was one of the Chofetz Chaim's closest disciples and a noted Torah scholar.-Biography:...
and Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzensky; Rabbi Zvi Yaakov Oppenheim
Zvi Yaakov Oppenheim
Zvi Yaakov Oppenheim was Chief Rabbi of Kelm, Lithuania, and one of the founders of the Telz Yeshiva.Rabbi Oppenheim was born in 1854 in the small village of Yakubowe . He showed extraordinary talents from his earliest youth and at age nine could already study a page of Talmud with commentaries on...
, who later became the Rabbi of Kelm
KELM
KELM may refer to:* the ICAO code for Elmira/Corning Regional Airport, in Chemung County, New York, United States* KELM-LP, a low-power television station licensed to Reno, Nevada, United States...
; and Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Abel
Shlomo Zalman Abel
Shlomo Zalman Halevi Abel was one of the founders of the Telz Yeshiva and author of Beis Shlomo.Abel was born on Wednesday March 11, 1857 at Novomyesto-Sugint in Lithuania....
, the brother-in-law of Rabbi Shimon Shkop
Shimon Shkop
Shimon Yehuda Hakohen Shkop was a rosh yeshiva in the Yeshiva Shaar Hatorah and in the Telshe yeshiva and a renowned Talmudic scholar. He was born in Torez in 1860. At the age of twelve he went to study in the Mir yeshiva, and at fifteen he went to Volozhin yeshiva where he studied six years...
. They received financial assistance from a Jewish banker in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Mr. Ovadyah Lachman.
Rabbi Eliezer Gordon
Eliezer Gordon
Eliezer Gordon also known as Reb Laizer Telzer, served as the Rabbi and Rosh Yeshiva of Telz, Lithuania.-Early years:...
was appointed as both the rav
Rav
Rav is the Hebrew word for rabbi. For a more nuanced discussion see semicha. The term is also frequently used by Orthodox Jews to refer to one's own rabbi....
(head rabbi
Chief Rabbi
Chief Rabbi is a title given in several countries to the recognized religious leader of that country's Jewish community, or to a rabbinic leader appointed by the local secular authorities...
) of Telz and its rosh yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva, , , is the title given to the dean of a Talmudical academy . It is made up of the Hebrew words rosh — meaning head, and yeshiva — a school of religious Jewish education...
("dean/head of the yeshiva"). Rabbi Gordon was a brilliant Talmudist and expert in Torah law
Halakha
Halakha — also transliterated Halocho , or Halacha — is the collective body of Jewish law, including biblical law and later talmudic and rabbinic law, as well as customs and traditions.Judaism classically draws no distinction in its laws between religious and ostensibly non-religious life; Jewish...
. A student of Rabbi Yisrael Salanter
Yisrael Salanter
Rabbi Yisroel Lipkin, better known as "Yisroel Salanter" or "Israel Salanter" , was the father of the Musar movement in Orthodox Judaism and a famed Rosh yeshiva and Talmudist...
, Rabbi Gordon had been appointed by Rabbi Salanter as a maggid shiur
Maggid shiur
The term Maggid Shiur literarly translates from Hebrew to mean "sayer of Shiur".This term is used to refer to the Rabbi that lectures in a Yeshiva or Kollel.A Maggid Shiur is generally a Rabbi who lectures on advanced and in-depth Talmudic studies....
(lecturer) in Rabbi Salanter's yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
at a young age. He also served as rabbi in Kelm
KELM
KELM may refer to:* the ICAO code for Elmira/Corning Regional Airport, in Chemung County, New York, United States* KELM-LP, a low-power television station licensed to Reno, Nevada, United States...
, and for a brief time in Slabodka (a suburb of Kaunas/Kovno known in Lithuanian as Viliampole). Although Rabbi Salanter strongly held that everyone required mussar study, he made an exception for Rav Laizer.
Rabbi Gordon was not satisfied with a yeshiva that served only the younger students in Telz and the vicinity, and set himself to the task of expanding it.
In 1884 Rabbi Gordon added his son-in-law, Rabbi Yosef Leib Bloch to the faculty and in 1885 he acquired the talents of Rabbi Shimon Shkop
Shimon Shkop
Shimon Yehuda Hakohen Shkop was a rosh yeshiva in the Yeshiva Shaar Hatorah and in the Telshe yeshiva and a renowned Talmudic scholar. He was born in Torez in 1860. At the age of twelve he went to study in the Mir yeshiva, and at fifteen he went to Volozhin yeshiva where he studied six years...
.
Both Rabbi Bloch and Rabbi Shkop were innovators in the field of Jewish education, each pioneering new methods and approaches to the study of the Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
(Hebrew Bible
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible is a term used by biblical scholars outside of Judaism to refer to the Tanakh , a canonical collection of Jewish texts, and the common textual antecedent of the several canonical editions of the Christian Old Testament...
), Talmud and Halakha
Halakha
Halakha — also transliterated Halocho , or Halacha — is the collective body of Jewish law, including biblical law and later talmudic and rabbinic law, as well as customs and traditions.Judaism classically draws no distinction in its laws between religious and ostensibly non-religious life; Jewish...
(Jewish law). Together, their methodical formulae set down the foundation for what became known in the world of Torah study as the Telzer Derekh ( the "Telzer approach").
Rabbi Gordon instituted various innovations, which were cause for a rapid increase in the student body. Among them were designating lectures for specific student levels. Whereas other contemporary yeshivas provided one level of study for all students, Telz provided students with lectures commensurate with a student’s age and understanding. When a student’s standard had advanced, he would advance to the next shiur (class-level). The benefits of such a system are self-explanatory and this system was soon integrated into the structure of almost all yeshivas and remains the accepted structure in most yeshivas worldwide. There were five different shiurim at Telz; Rabbi Gordon delivered the highest shiur. Telz was especially noted for its ability to develop its talmidim in lomdus. Rabbi Laizer Yudel Finkel once stated that every talmud student would be best off studying at Telz, where he can develop his learning skills, for two years, and then studying in another yeshiva.
The yeshiva was originally housed in a building provided by the Telz community; however, student numbers increased so dramatically that larger premises were called for. Subsequently, in 1894 the yeshiva moved into a new purpose-built building. In the same year, the yeshiva added a new subject of study - mussar
Mussar movement
The Musar movement is a Jewish ethical, educational and cultural movement that developed in 19th century Eastern Europe, particularly among Orthodox Lithuanian Jews. The Hebrew term Musar , is from the book of Proverbs 1:2 meaning instruction, discipline, or conduct...
("Jewish ethics"). Prior to this, the study of mussar had been a students’ personal prerogative; now, it was a part of the yeshiva curriculum. A new faculty position was created: mussar mashgiach
Mashgiach ruchani
Mashgiach ruchani or mashgiach for short, means a spiritual supervisor or guide. It is a title which usually refers to a rabbi who has an official position within a yeshiva and is responsible for the non-academic areas of yeshiva students' lives.The position of mashgiach ruchani arose with the...
(teacher of ethics). The yeshiva’s first mussar mashgiach was Rabbi Ben Zion Kranitz, a student of Rabbi Simcha Zissel Ziv
Simcha Zissel Ziv
Rabbi Simcha Zissel Ziv Broida , also known as the Alter of Kelm , was one of the foremost students of Rabbi Yisrael Salanter and one of the early leaders of the Musar movement...
. Rabbi Kranitz was very mild mannered, and did not force his students to accept the mussar approach. In 1897, however, Rabbi Gordon engaged a new mussar mashgiach - the dynamic Rabbi Leib Chasman, who instituted a very strict mussar regime in the yeshiva. Many of the students opposed this approach, which caused dissent among the student body. Rabbi Chasman later achieved world renown as the senior mussar mashgiach at the Hebron Yeshiva in Jerusalem.
In 1902, Rabbi Shimon Shkop
Shimon Shkop
Shimon Yehuda Hakohen Shkop was a rosh yeshiva in the Yeshiva Shaar Hatorah and in the Telshe yeshiva and a renowned Talmudic scholar. He was born in Torez in 1860. At the age of twelve he went to study in the Mir yeshiva, and at fifteen he went to Volozhin yeshiva where he studied six years...
left the yeshiva to fill the position of rabbi to the community of Breinsk, Lithuania. In 1905 Rabbi Chaim Rabinowitz
Chaim Rabinowitz
Chaim Shalom Tuvia Rabinowitz was an Orthodox Lithuanian rabbi and rosh yeshiva of the Telshe yeshiva...
joined the yeshiva to fill the void left by Rabbi Shkop’s departure. Prior to his appointment at Telz, Rabbi Rabinowitz had served as rabbi to the town of Meishad, and later as a maggid shiur ("lecturer") at the Knesses Beis Yitzchak yeshiva in Kovno, Lithuania. As with his predecessor, Rabbi Rabinowitz innovated a unique style of Talmudic analysis, which further added to the yeshiva’s reputation.
In 1910, whilst fundraising for the yeshiva in London, Rabbi Gordon suffered a heart attack and died. His twenty-nine years as head of the yeshiva had seen a small town institution grow into a world famous center of Talmudic study. He had stamped his imprint onto the lives of hundreds of young men, many of whom were great Talmudists in their own right. Among his students were: Rabbi Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman
Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman
Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman , יוסף שלמה כהנמן, was an Orthodox rabbi and rosh yeshiva of the Ponevezh yeshiva. He was a renowned Torah and Talmudic scholar.- Biography :...
, Rabbi Elchonon Wasserman
Elchonon Wasserman
Elchonon Wasserman was a prominent rabbi and rosh yeshiva in pre-World War II Europe. He was one of the Chofetz Chaim's closest disciples and a noted Torah scholar.-Biography:...
, Rabbi Zvi Pesach Frank and Rabbi Yehezkel Abramsky
Yehezkel Abramsky
Yehezkel Abramsky , also affectionately referred to as 'Reb Chatzkel Abramsky', was a prominent and influential Orthodox rabbi and scholar, born and raised in Russia who later headed the London Beth Din for 17 years....
and others who in turn left their imprint on Jewish society and culture.
Rabbi Yosef Leib Bloch
Following Rabbi Gordon’s passing, his son-in-law, Rabbi Yosef Leib Bloch assumed the mantle of leadership as both rabbi to the community and rosh yeshivaRosh yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva, , , is the title given to the dean of a Talmudical academy . It is made up of the Hebrew words rosh — meaning head, and yeshiva — a school of religious Jewish education...
.
Not only was Rabbi Bloch an innovator in the realms of Talmudic analysis, he also possessed a unique approach to Torah study
Torah study
Torah study is the study by Jewish people of the Torah, Hebrew Bible, Talmud, responsa, rabbinic literature and similar works, all of which are Judaism's religious texts...
and Jewish philosophy
Jewish philosophy
Jewish philosophy , includes all philosophy carried out by Jews, or, in relation to the religion of Judaism. Jewish philosophy, until modern Enlightenment and Emancipation, was pre-occupied with attempts to reconcile coherent new ideas into the tradition of Rabbinic Judaism; thus organizing...
. During Rabbi Gordon’s lifetime, Rabbi Bloch had left the yeshiva’s direction to him, however, with his elevation to dean of the yeshiva, Rabbi Bloch was free to guide the school in the direction and manner of his choice.
Rabbi Bloch did not regard his obligation to enhance educational standards as being limited to the yeshiva itself, and in 1920, he established in Telz primary schools for both boys and girls. In the same year, Rabbi Bloch added a mechina
Mechina
A Mechina is an Israeli educational program that prepares high school graduates for serving in the Israeli Army or study at an institution of higher learning in Israel...
("preparatory school"
) to the yeshiva. Previously, older students would tutor younger students who entered the yeshiva but were not up to the standard of the lowest class. The mechina was structured in the same fashion as the yeshiva itself with four levels of classes commensurate with the different levels of student advancement. At the time, the notion of a yeshiva possessing its own preparatory school was novel. Today, however, it has become an accepted norm, something Rabbi Bloch pioneered.
In addition to studying an easier version of the yeshiva curriculum, the mechina also featured secular studies, another innovation at the time. This was cause for opposition from the ranks of many rabbis, who were unaccustomed to the idea of secular studies occupying a position in any form of yeshiva. In 1924, however, the Lithuanian government announced its decision to accredit only those rabbinical colleges that possessed a secular studies department. The Rabbinical College of Telshe was the only such institute. It is to be stressed, though, that secular studies did not occupy a place in the yeshiva itself, but only in its mechina.
1922 saw the founding of a kollel
Kollel
A kollel is an institute for full-time, advanced study of the Talmud and rabbinic literature. Like a yeshiva, a kollel features shiurim and learning sedarim ; unlike a yeshiva, the student body of a kollel are all married men...
("postgraduate institute"), the aim of which was to train graduates for the rabbinate. Admission was not easy; a student had to display great promise and the institute soon became known as an exclusive school for higher studies. Rabbi Chaim Mordechai Katz
Chaim Mordechai Katz
Chaim Mordechai Katz was an Orthodox rabbi, the Rosh Yeshiva of the Telshe Yeshiva in Cleveland, and among American Jewry's foremost religious leaders.- Pre-War Years :...
, a son-in-law of Rabbi Bloch served as dean (rosh hakollel).
In 1918, a teachers training institute had been established in Kovno; however, the seminary did not achieve much success. The faculty of the academy turned to Rabbi Bloch, renowned for his pedagogical prowess, to take it over, and, in 1925 The Yavneh School for the Training of Teachers reopened in Telz under the auspices of The Rabbinical College of Telshe. This served as a postgraduate institute, with the charter of producing teachers for Jewish schools. The curriculum at the teacher’s institute included educational skills, Hebrew Bible, Talmud, the Hebrew language
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
and literature and mathematics. The school succeeded in supplying qualified and trained teachers of a high caliber not only to the communities of Lithuania, but also to those of greater Europe.
Lithuanian Jews
Lithuanian Jews or Litvaks are Jews with roots in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania:...
had lacked a structured educational system for teenage girls. Rabbi Bloch felt that such a concept was called for and in 1927 a high school department for girls was established in Telshe. The school found immediate praise and support from many rabbis and community leaders who saw the immense value that such an institute had to offer.
In 1930, a sister institute to The Yavneh Teacher’s Training Institute was opened, offering a two year course to young women who wished to enter the field of education. Like its counterpart, the female division of the school succeeded in producing many high quality teachers who branched out across Europe.
These various schools were all incorporated as a part of The Rabbinical College of Telshe. Thus, under Rabbi Bloch’s leadership, the yeshiva grew to include young primary school students through to qualified professionals, ready to embark on careers in the rabbinate and Jewish education.
A committee was established for the publication of the lectures (shiurim) delivered in the yeshiva and subsequently, the lectures of Rabbi Bloch and Rabbi Rabinowitz were circulated and studied in other yeshivas. The popular acceptance of their novellae
Rabbinic literature
Rabbinic literature, in its broadest sense, can mean the entire spectrum of rabbinic writings throughout Jewish history. However, the term often refers specifically to literature from the Talmudic era, as opposed to medieval and modern rabbinic writing, and thus corresponds with the Hebrew term...
in the yeshiva world today, is due much to their circulation in the pre-Holocaust
The Holocaust
The Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...
yeshiva world.
In October 1930, Rabbi Yosef Leib Bloch died, and his second oldest son, Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Bloch
Avraham Yitzchak Bloch
Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Bloch was the Chief Rabbi and Rosh Yeshiva of the Telz Yeshiva in Lithuania, and one of the greatest pre-Holocaust Rabbinic figures....
succeeded him as both Rabbi to the community and rosh yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva, , , is the title given to the dean of a Talmudical academy . It is made up of the Hebrew words rosh — meaning head, and yeshiva — a school of religious Jewish education...
.
Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Bloch
Avraham Yitzchak Bloch
Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Bloch was the Chief Rabbi and Rosh Yeshiva of the Telz Yeshiva in Lithuania, and one of the greatest pre-Holocaust Rabbinic figures....
was only thirty eight years old; however, he had been lecturing in the yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
since 1926 and had already acquired a name as one of the greatest minds in the rabbinic world.
Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Bloch’s two brothers: Rabbi Zalman Bloch and Rabbi Eliyahu Meir Bloch also occupied positions within the yeshiva. All remained dedicated to continuing with their father’s educational methods and approach.
In 1931, a committee was established in the yeshiva for the furtherance of Jewish education. The committee’s goal was to ensure that traditional Jewish education was available to as many Jewish children as possible. The committee saw the organization of schools in small towns where there had previously been little or no structured system of schooling. Older students in the yeshiva were selected to teach for periods of time at these schools, following which, they would return to continue their studies at the yeshiva. In addition to providing many communities at large with new educational options, these schools also gave Telzer students another opportunity for self-development and growth.
Exactly one year and a day after the passing of Rabbi Yosef Leib Bloch, Rabbi Chaim Rabinowitz
Chaim Rabinowitz
Chaim Shalom Tuvia Rabinowitz was an Orthodox Lithuanian rabbi and rosh yeshiva of the Telshe yeshiva...
died. Following Rabbi Rabinowitz’s death, his son, Rabbi Azriel Rabinowitz
Azriel Rabinowitz
Rabbi Azriel Rabinowitz was a rosh yeshiva at the Telshe yeshiva of Lithuania and one of the youngest pre-Holocaust rosh yeshivas.-Biography:...
was appointed as a rosh yeshiva. Rabbi Azriel Rabinowitz
Azriel Rabinowitz
Rabbi Azriel Rabinowitz was a rosh yeshiva at the Telshe yeshiva of Lithuania and one of the youngest pre-Holocaust rosh yeshivas.-Biography:...
was only twenty-six years old and was already an acclaimed illui
Illui
Illui is a noun derived from the Hebrew and Yiddish, meaning a young Torah and Talmudic prodigy or genius....
("genius").
In 1933, the yeshiva built a new building to house the mechina ("preparatory school"). Until the onset of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the yeshiva continued to offer traditional Jewish education to all ages. The establishment of schools outside of Telz had furthered this goal.
The Holocaust
In 1939 when the Russians enter Lithuania, they eventually closed down the yeshiva. Most of the students dispersed with only about a hundred students remaining there in Telshe. The learning was done in groups of 20-25 students studying in various batai medrashimBeth midrash
Beth Midrash refers to a study hall, whether in a synagogue, yeshiva, kollel, or other building. It is distinct from a synagogue, although many synagogues are also used as batei midrash and vice versa....
("small synagogues") led by the rosh yeshivas.
During the early years of World War II, Rabbi Elya Meir Bloch and Rabbi Chaim Mordechai Katz
Chaim Mordechai Katz
Chaim Mordechai Katz was an Orthodox rabbi, the Rosh Yeshiva of the Telshe Yeshiva in Cleveland, and among American Jewry's foremost religious leaders.- Pre-War Years :...
were in the United States on a fund raising mission. As the war broke out, their only option to ensure the longevity of the Yeshiva was to transfer the whole yeshiva to American soil. In October 1940, a group of students led by Rabbi Chaim Stein escaped from war-ravaged Lithuania as it was overrun by the Nazis. This daring flight took place on the Sabbath. While travel is prohibited on the Sabbath, to save lives, and to escape great peril, one may transgress this prohibition. The original faculty, their families and most of the student body left behind in Europe, were killed in Lithuania by Nazi forces and Lithuanian collaborators.
Escaping to Russia as the war ravaged Eastern Europe, another war was taking place in the Pacific- the very direction that the students led by Rabbi Chaim Stein were headed. The students achieved safe passage via the Trans-Siberian Railroad to the Far East. The group had somehow acquired visas from the renowned Chiune Sugihara
Chiune Sugihara
was a Japanese diplomat who served as Vice-Consul for the Japanese Empire in Lithuania. During World War II, he helped several thousand Jews leave the country by issuing transit visas to Jewish refugees so that they could travel to Japan. Most of the Jews who escaped were refugees from...
, and became beneficiaries of his admirable action to risk his life so many persons from war-torn Europe were given the opportunity to seek refuge elsewhere in the world.
Shortly after, the students traveled to Australia. Being that there were some students that were British subjects in possession of British passports- such as Rabbi Shlomo Davis, their visas were granted.
Upon arrival in Australia, they were greeted by the small but vibrant Jewish community in Brisbane. As they planned out their next course of action, the group of students reached out to improve the Jewish quality of life amongst the native Australians. Amongst this group was Rabbi Chaim Stein, who today is Rosh Yeshiva in Wickliffe
Wickliffe
Wickliffe may refer to:people*Charles A. Wickliffe , a U.S. Representative from Kentucky*John Wickliffe, a spelling variant of John Wycliffe, 14 Century theologian*Robert C. Wickliffe, , Lieutenant Governor and Governor of Louisiana...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, Rabbi Shlomo Davis who became a teacher and later a senior administrator for the students registrar, (currently retired and living in Lakewood, New Jersey), and Rabbi Nosson Meir Wachtfogel
Nosson Meir Wachtfogel
Nosson Meir Wachtfogel , known as the Lakewood Mashgiach, was an Orthodox rabbi and long-time mashgiach ruchani of Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, New Jersey...
, who later became mashgiach ruchani
Mashgiach ruchani
Mashgiach ruchani or mashgiach for short, means a spiritual supervisor or guide. It is a title which usually refers to a rabbi who has an official position within a yeshiva and is responsible for the non-academic areas of yeshiva students' lives.The position of mashgiach ruchani arose with the...
of Beth Medrash Gevoha in Lakewood
Lakewood Township, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 60,352 people, 19,876 households, and 13,356 families residing in the township. The population density was 2,431.8 people per square mile . There were 21,214 housing units at an average density of 854.8 per square mile...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. This group found their way to the United States in early 1941. Once reunited with their Roshei Yeshiva, Rabbi Elya Meir Bloch and Rabbi Chaim Mordechai Katz, they eventually settled in Cleveland, Ohio.
Telshe in the United States
The yeshiva was opened in Cleveland in the house of Yitzchak & Sarah Feigenbaum on 10 November 1941. It is affiliated with the Agudath Israel of AmericaAgudath Israel of America
Agudath Israel of America , is a Haredi Jewish communal organization in the United States loosely affiliated with the international World Agudath Israel.-Functions:...
.
In Cleveland, the yeshiva is officially titled the Rabbinical College of Telshe. It currently consists of a high school, college and post-graduate school. The yeshiva is a non-profit and is accredited through the Association of Advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic Schools. The yeshiva has a department of secular studies that grants a high school diploma.
In the United States, the yeshiva has been led by a distinguished faculty. This includes Rabbi Chaim Mordechai Katz
Chaim Mordechai Katz
Chaim Mordechai Katz was an Orthodox rabbi, the Rosh Yeshiva of the Telshe Yeshiva in Cleveland, and among American Jewry's foremost religious leaders.- Pre-War Years :...
, Rabbi Boruch Sorotzkin, Rabbi Mordechai Gifter
Mordechai Gifter
Rabbi Mordechai Gifter was the rosh yeshiva of the Telz Yeshiva in Cleveland and among the foremost religious leaders of Orthodox Jewry in the late 20th century. He studied in yeshivas in Lithuania and held several rabbinical positions in the United States of America.-Biography:Mordechai Gifter...
, Rabbi Chaim Stein, Rabbi Aizik Ausband and Rabbi Pesach Stein
Pesach Stein
Rabbi Pesach Yitzhak Stein was a renowned Rosh Yeshiva at the Telz Yeshiva in Cleveland, Ohio.-Biography:Stein was born in Breinsk in 1918...
. The yeshiva is currently led by the Rosh Yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva, , , is the title given to the dean of a Talmudical academy . It is made up of the Hebrew words rosh — meaning head, and yeshiva — a school of religious Jewish education...
, Rabbi Aizik Ausband. The associate dean and beloved teacher, Rabbi Dovid Barkin
Dovid Barkin
Rabbi Dovid Barkin is a former Rosh Yeshiva of the famed Telshe yeshiva in Cleveland, Ohio.Rabbi Dovid Barkin married Miriam, the daughter of Telzer Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Eliyahu Meir Bloch...
, died December 20, 2006. On June 29, 2011, one of the Roshei Yeshiva, Rabbi Chaim Stein, passed away.
Notable alumni
Among the well known alumni of the yeshiva are:- Azriel CarlebachAzriel CarlebachDr. Ezriel Carlebach was a journalist and editorial writer during the period of Jewish settlement in Palestine and during the early days of the state of Israel...
(1909–56), Israeli journalist and editorial writer - Naftoli CarlebachNaftoli CarlebachNaftoli Carlebach was an Orthodox Jewish rabbi and accountant.-Early life:Carlebach was born in Leipzig, Germany to Rabbi Moshe Carlebach, a son of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, the av beit din of Lübeck, Germany...
- Nachum Zev DesslerNachum Zev DesslerNachum Zev Dessler was an Orthodox Jewish Rabbi who was the founder and dean of the Hebrew Academy of Cleveland. Dessler was also instrumental in building the National Society for Hebrew Day Schools.-Personal life:...
, Cleveland, OhioCleveland, OhioCleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border... - Chaim Dov Keller, Chicago, Illinois. Rosh Yeshiva of Telshe Chicago
- Zev LeffZev LeffZev Leff, Rav of moshav Matityahu, Mateh Binyamin, Israel, is an American-born Orthodox Jewish rabbi and a widely-popular Torah educator who teaches and lectures regularly at English-speaking yeshivot, girls' schools, community centers, synagogue functions, and other events in Israel, as well as in...
, Moshav Mattityahu, Israel - Avraham Chaim Levin, Chicago, Illinois. Rosh Yeshiva of Telshe Chicago
- Moshe Leib RabinovichMoshe Leib RabinovichMoshe Leib Rabinovich is the current rebbe of Munkacs.Rabinovich was born as the third child to his parents Rabbi Baruch and Frima Rabinovich in Munkacs, Carpathian Ruthenia, Ukraine, the country itself having at the time just been created with a sizable piece of Hungary, which in turn received...
, Brooklyn, New York. RebbeRebbeRebbe , which means master, teacher, or mentor, is a Yiddish word derived from the Hebrew word Rabbi. It often refers to the leader of a Hasidic Jewish movement...
of the Munkacz Hasidic dynastyMunkacz (Hasidic dynasty)Munkatch Hasidism is a Hasidic sect within Haredi Judaism of mostly Hungarian Hasidic Jews. It was founded and led by the late Polish-born Grand Rebbe Shlomo Spira, who was the rabbi of the town of Munkacs. Members of the congregation are mainly referred to as Munkacs Hasidim or Munkatcher Hasidim...
Branches
- Telshe ChicagoTelshe yeshiva (Chicago)Telshe Yeshiva is a Yeshiva located in Chicago, Illinois, in the United States....
. In 1960, the yeshiva opened a branch in Chicago, Illinois. Within 10 years the branch in Chicago became independent of the yeshiva in Cleveland and no longer has an official formal connection to the yeshiva in Cleveland, although informal ties remain close. - Kiryat Ye'arim (Telz-Stone), IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. In 1977 Rabbi Mordechai GifterMordechai GifterRabbi Mordechai Gifter was the rosh yeshiva of the Telz Yeshiva in Cleveland and among the foremost religious leaders of Orthodox Jewry in the late 20th century. He studied in yeshivas in Lithuania and held several rabbinical positions in the United States of America.-Biography:Mordechai Gifter...
brought a group of 20 students from Cleveland to open a branch of the yeshiva in Kiryat Ye'arim (Telz-Stone), Israel. Classes took place in several apartments. In 1979, when Rabbi Baruch SorotzkinBaruch SorotzkinRephoel Baruch Sorotzkin was the Rosh Yeshiva of the Telz Yeshiva in Cleveland and among American Jewry's foremost religious leaders.Sorotzkin was born on February 5, 1917 in Zhetl, Lithuania...
died, Rabbi Gifter was asked to return to Cleveland and the Israeli branch closed. - Yeshiva of Telshe AlumniYeshiva of Telshe AlumniThe Yeshiva of Telshe Alumni is a branch of the Telshe Yeshiva located in Riverdale: a neighborhood of The Bronx in New York City. It was founded in the early 1980s by Rabbi Avraham Ausband, a grandson of the Telzer rav, Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Bloch, and by Rabbi Yaakov Reisman, a son-in-law of...
. In the early 1980s, Rabbi Avraham Ausband, a grandson of the Telzer Rov Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak BlochAvraham Yitzchak BlochRabbi Avraham Yitzchak Bloch was the Chief Rabbi and Rosh Yeshiva of the Telz Yeshiva in Lithuania, and one of the greatest pre-Holocaust Rabbinic figures....
, was sent to opened up the Yeshiva of Telshe AlumniYeshiva of Telshe AlumniThe Yeshiva of Telshe Alumni is a branch of the Telshe Yeshiva located in Riverdale: a neighborhood of The Bronx in New York City. It was founded in the early 1980s by Rabbi Avraham Ausband, a grandson of the Telzer rav, Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Bloch, and by Rabbi Yaakov Reisman, a son-in-law of...
in Riverdale, New York by his Rebbe, Rabbi Mordechai GifterMordechai GifterRabbi Mordechai Gifter was the rosh yeshiva of the Telz Yeshiva in Cleveland and among the foremost religious leaders of Orthodox Jewry in the late 20th century. He studied in yeshivas in Lithuania and held several rabbinical positions in the United States of America.-Biography:Mordechai Gifter...
. - Birchas ChaimBirchas chaimYeshiva Birchas Chaim is a Orthodox Jewish Mesivta high school in Lakewood, New Jersey.It was founded by Rabbi Shmuel Zalmen Stein in 2001, after his father, Rabbi Chaim Stein, asked him to open a branch of Telz Yeshiva in Lakewood. There are 62 students in grades 9-12 and six classroom teachers.-...
. In 2001 Rabbi Chaim Stein's son, Rabbi Shmuel Zalman Stein, opened Yeshivah Birchas ChaimBirchas chaimYeshiva Birchas Chaim is a Orthodox Jewish Mesivta high school in Lakewood, New Jersey.It was founded by Rabbi Shmuel Zalmen Stein in 2001, after his father, Rabbi Chaim Stein, asked him to open a branch of Telz Yeshiva in Lakewood. There are 62 students in grades 9-12 and six classroom teachers.-...
in Lakewood, NJ. - Mesoras Mordechai. Founded in 2004, this branch is located in Ramat Beit Shemesh Aleph, IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and headed by Rabbi Tzvi Feuer, a grandson of Rabbi Mordechai GifterMordechai GifterRabbi Mordechai Gifter was the rosh yeshiva of the Telz Yeshiva in Cleveland and among the foremost religious leaders of Orthodox Jewry in the late 20th century. He studied in yeshivas in Lithuania and held several rabbinical positions in the United States of America.-Biography:Mordechai Gifter...
. The Yeshiva has approximately 25 students from the U.S., CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
aged 17–21. Mesoras Mordechai has published two issues of its Torah journal, "Kovetz Mesoras Mordechai", containing TorahTorahTorah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
novelae of previous Telshe Roshei Yeshiva, newly published novelae from Rabbi Gifter, and essays of the yeshiva's teachers and students.
External links
- An explanation and synopsis of the Telzer Derech
- "An Analysis of Darchei HaLimud (Methodologies of Talmud Study) Centering on a Cup of Tea"
- History of the town of Telsiai (shtetlinks)
- University listing for Telshe
- The Ohel Tomb of Reb Eliezer Gordon in Edmonton Beis Olam London with photos of the Matzeivo
- Chaim Stein (Jewiki)