Gateshead Talmudical College

54°57′11″N 1°36′38″W Gateshead Talmudical College (Hebrew: ישיבת בית יוסף גייטסהעד), popularly known as Gateshead Yeshiva, is located in the town of Gateshead in England. It is the largest Haredi yeshiva in Europe and considered to be one of the most prestigious advanced yeshivas in the Orthodox world. The student body currently (2007) numbers 350. Although students are mainly British, there are European, American and Israeli pupils and some from South Africa and Australia.

The yeshiva was founded in Gateshead in 1929 by Reb Dovid Dryan, with the Chofetz Chaim serving as an active patron and appointing the original heads of the yeshiva. The first Rosh yeshiva and Menahel (principal) were respectively Rabbi Nachman Landinski and Rabbi Eliezer Kahan, both alumni of the famed Novardok yeshiva. At its conception, Gateshead yeshiva served as a branch of Novardok, officially sharing its doctrines, ideals and methodology and even the same name - "Yeshivas Beis Yosef".

Faculty

Present

• Rosh yeshiva: Rabbi Avrohom Gurwicz, an alumnus of Brisk yeshiva
• Mashgiach: Rabbi Mordechai Yosef Karnowski
• Junior Mashgiach: Rabbi Gershon Miller (formerly of Manchester Jewish Grammar School)
• Rabbi Azriel Rosenbaum, senior lecturer
• Rabbi Yosef Aaron Oppenheimer, senior lecturer

Junior Faculty

• Rabbi Naftoli Lebrecht, head of Students body

Past

Rosh yeshivas:

• 1929-1951:Rabbi Nachman Dovid Landinski, an alumnus of Radin, Eishishok, Kelm, Mir, Lomza, Suvalk and Novardok yeshivas
• 1947-1979:Rabbi Leib Lopian, son of Rabbi Elya Lopian, an alumnus of Telz yeshiva
• 1947-1986: Rabbi Leib Gurwicz, an alumnus of Mir, Baranovitch and Brisk yeshivas

Principals:

• Rabbi Eliezer Kahan, an alumnus of Novardok yeshiva
• Rabbi Ze'ev Cohen (retired November 2007), an alumnus of Chevron yeshiva

Mashgichim:

• Rabbi Moshe Schwab, an alumnus of Baranovitch, Kamenitz and Mir yeshivas
• Rabbi Matisyohu Salomon, now of Beth Medrash Govoha

Prominent Alumni

Over its 75-year history, Gateshead yeshiva has produced literally thousands of learned alumni, among them hundreds of rabbis, businessmen and professionals. Due to the very large numbers of prominent Gateshead yeshiva alumni, it would be impossibe to provide an exhaustive list.

• Dayan Yonason Abraham
• Dayan Chanoch Ehrentreu, head of London Beth Din
• Dayan Casriel Dovid Kaplin
• Dayan Boruch Rappoport of Johannesburg Beth Din
• Dayan Shmuel Simons
• Rabbi Dr Nathan Lopes Cardozo
• Rabbi Yaakov Hillel
• Rabbi Dr Louis Jacobs
• Rabbi Daniel Lapin
• Professor Ze'ev Lev
• Rabbi Eliyahu Munk
• Rabbi Ben Zion Rabinowicz of Biala-Lugano, the current Biala Rebbe
• Rabbi Uren Reich
• Rabbi Jonathan Rietti
• Rabbi YY Rubinstein

Buildings and Structure

The original building, on 88 Windermere Street contained the Beth Hamedresh, the hall used for study and prayer, with the dining room on the floor below and the kitchens below that. On Rectory Road, around the time of the building of the main study hall were two floors of dormitories. A later three story building joined the Rectory Road building further up Bewick Road and attached the yeshiva dormitories with the back of the study hall via a bridge. Later on, a new building, Sebba House, attached the study hall further down Windermere Street to the dormitories and extended the main building, including the study hall and the dining room. The last extension on the right hand side added more lecture halls. In addition these extensions created a courtyard leading on from the back alley, from Rydal Street.

References

An excellent reference describing the history of Gateshead Yeshiva can be found in the book "Gateshead" by Miriam Dansky, ISBN 0-944070-88-4