Gateshead Talmudical College

Gateshead Talmudical College ( _he. 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, as well as some from South Africa, Argentina 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 was seen as a branch of Novardok, officially sharing its doctrines, ideals and methodology and named "Yeshivas Beis Yosef" in common with other branches of Novhardok.

Faculty

Present

*Rosh Yeshiva: Rabbi Avrohom Gurwicz, an alumnus of Brisk yeshiva, and a past student
*Rosh HaKibbuts: Rabbi Chayim Ozer Gurwicz
*Mashgiach: Rabbi Mordechai Yosef Karnowski
*Junior Mashgiach: Rabbi Gershon Miller (formerly of Manchester Jewish Grammar School)
*Rabbi Ezriel Rosenbaum, senior lecturer
*Rabbi Yosef Aaron Oppenheimer, senior lecturer

Junior Faculty

*Rabbi Naftoli ("Totty") Lebrecht, head of Students body
*Rabbi Yaakov Prijs, Gabbai
*Rabbi Shimshon Refoel Lieberman, Shoel Umeishiv
*Rabbi Efraim ("Effy") Serfaty, Kitchen Manager

Past

Rosh yeshivas:
*1929-1951:Rabbi Nachman Dovid Landinski, an alumnus of Radin, Eishishok, Kelm, Mir, Łomża, 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, son in law of Rabbi Kahan.

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 prominent rabbis, businessmen and professionals.
*Rabbi Avrohom Dovid Haffner(Rabbi of Park Road Jews)
*Rabbi Yisroel Meir Greenberg (Rav of Golders Green Beth Hamedrash Congregation aka GGBH/Munks http://ggbh.info/)
*Dayan Yonason Abraham, Dayan on the London Beth Din
*Rabbi Harvey Belovski
*Rabbi Jeremy Conway, head of London Beth Din Kashrut Division
*Dayan Aron Dovid Dunner (Rav of Addas Yisroel, Tottenham and Dayan of the UOHC)
*Rabbi Moshe Eiseman
*Dayan Chanoch Ehrentreu, head of London Beth Din
*Rabbi Yisroel Fine
*Professor Paul Franks
*Dayan Casriel Dovid Kaplin
*Rabbi Chaim Kaufman
*Professor Ze'ev Lev
*Rabbi Emanuel Levy
*Rabbi Eliyahu Munk
*Rabbi Ben Zion Rabinowicz of Biala-Lugano, the current Bialer Rebbe
*Dayan Boruch Rapoport of Johannesburg Beth Din
*Dayan Shmuel Simons (London Beth Din)
*Rabbi Dr Nathan Lopes Cardozo
*Rabbi Chaim Horowitz, Dean, Antwerp kolel
*Rabbi Yaakov Hillel
*Rabbi Daniel Lapin
*Rabbi Meir Gelley
*Rabbi Uren Reich [ Great-grandson of Eliezer Adler, one of the founders of Gateshead community]
*Rabbi Jonathan Rietti
*Rabbi YY Rubinstein
*Rabbi Jackie Tessler
*Rabbi Yoiely Lebrecht
*Rabbi Nosson Tremble (Rav of Washington Hebrew Cong.)
*Mr Alex Strom (Jewish Tribune Columnist, Aguda Activist & Asken)

Buildings and Structure

The original building of the yeshiva was at 179 Bewick Road. As the yeshiva expanded it acquired neighbouring properties in Rectory Road and 177 Bewick Road. In 1961 a new building was erected at 88 Windermere Street to house a new "beth hamedresh" (the hall used for study and prayer), with the dining room on the floor below and the kitchens in the basement. The old "beth hamedrash" building at 179 Bewick Road and neighbouring houses in Rectory Road were demolished to make way for a new two-storey dormitory block, Clore House, which was opened in 1963, forming the beginnings of the yeshiva campus. A later three-storey building further up Bewick Road joined the first dormitory block, and attached the yeshiva dormitories with the back of the study hall via a bridge. Later on,in 1992, a new building, Sebba House was built, which consisted of a state-of-the-art dormitory building for about 70 students. Later, in 1997 a new building, Tiferes Yonasan, was erected, which 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

"Gateshead: Its community, Its personalities, Its Institutions" by Miriam Dansky, ISBN 0-944070-88-4 is a unique history of the Gateshead Jewish community and in particular its famous yeshiva.

Hashkafa

The yeshiva is a scion of the original Novardok yeshiva in Europe.