Volozhin Yeshiva
Prominent European yeshiva / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Yeshivas Etz Ḥayyim (Hebrew: ישיבת עץ חיים), commonly called the Volozhin Yeshiva (Yiddish: וואלאזשינער ישיבה, romanized: Volozhiner Yeshiva), was a prestigious Lithuanian yeshiva located in the town of Volozhin, Russian Empire (now Valozhyn, Belarus). It was founded around 1803 by Rabbi Ḥayyim Volozhiner, a student of the famed Vilna Gaon,[1] and trained several generations of scholars, rabbis, and leaders. It is considered the first modern yeshiva, and served as a model for later Misnagedic educational institutions.[3]
Other name | Yeshivas Etz Ḥayyim |
---|---|
Active | 1803 (1803)[1][2]–1939 (1939) |
Founder | Ḥayyim of Volozhin |
Religious affiliation | Judaism |
Rosh yeshiva |
|
Location | , , 54.0910°N 26.5279°E / 54.0910; 26.5279 |
The institution reached its zenith under the leadership of Rabbi Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin, who became rosh yeshiva in 1854.[3] In 1892, demands of the Russian authorities to increase secular studies forced the yeshiva to close. It re-opened on a smaller scale in 1899 and functioned until the outbreak of World War II in 1939. During the War German soldiers used the building as a stable, and it was subsequently converted into a canteen and deli.[2] The site was returned to the Jewish community of Belarus in 1989.[2] It is considered a cultural and architectural landmark,[2] and in 1998, the Volozhin Yeshiva was registered on the State List of Historical and Cultural Monuments of the Republic of Belarus.[4]