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Telshe Yeshiva (also spelled ''Telz'') is a
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 ...
in Wickliffe, Ohio, formerly located in
Telšiai Telšiai (; Samogitian: ''Telšē'') is a city in Lithuania with about 21,499 inhabitants. It is the capital of Telšiai County and Samogitia region, and it is located on the shores of Lake Mastis. Telšiai is one of the oldest cities in Lithua ...
, Lithuania. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
the yeshiva began relocating to Wickliffe, Ohio, in the United States and is now known as the Rabbinical College of Telshe, commonly referred to as ''Telz Yeshiva'', or ''Telz'' in short. It is a prominent
Haredi Haredi Judaism ( he, ', ; also spelled ''Charedi'' in English; plural ''Haredim'' or ''Charedim'') consists of groups within Orthodox Judaism that are characterized by their strict adherence to ''halakha'' (Jewish law) and traditions, in oppos ...
institution of
Torah study Torah study is the study of the Torah, Hebrew Bible, Talmud, responsa, rabbinic literature, and similar works, all of which are Judaism's religious texts. According to Rabbinic Judaism, the study is done for the purpose of the '' mitzvah'' ("co ...
, with additional branches in
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
and
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
. It is the successor of the New Haven Yeshiva of Cleveland.


History

In 1875 this famous
Eastern Europe Eastern Europe is a subregion of the European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russia, whi ...
an
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 ...
was founded in the town of Telshi (russian: Тельши, lt, Telšiai, yi, טעלז, Telz) in
Kovno Governorate Kovno Governorate ( rus, Ковенская губеpния, r=Kovenskaya guberniya; lt, Kauno gubernija) or Governorate of Kaunas was a governorate ('' guberniya'') of the Russian Empire. Its capital was Kaunas (Kovno in Russian). It was form ...
of the
Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War ...
, in order to provide for the religious educational needs of young
Jew Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""T ...
ish men in Telshi and its surrounding towns. By 1900 it was "one of the three largest yeshivot in Imperial Russia." The yeshiva was established by three important Orthodox rabbis and Talmudists: *
Meir Atlas Meir Atlas ( he, מאיר אטלס; 1848–1926) 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 ...
, later the rabbi of Shavli (the Yiddish name for
Šiauliai Šiauliai (; bat-smg, Šiaulē; german: Schaulen, ) is the fourth largest city in Lithuania, with a population of 107,086. From 1994 to 2010 it was the capital of Šiauliai County. Names Šiauliai is referred to by various names in different la ...
) and the father-in-law of Elchonon Wasserman and Chaim Ozer Grodzensky; *
Zvi Yaakov Oppenheim Zvi Yaakov Oppenheim ( he, צבי יעקב אופנהיים; 1854-1926) was Chief Rabbi of Kelm, Lithuania, and one of the founders of the Telz Yeshiva. Biography Rabbi Oppenheim was born in 1854 in the small village of Yakubowe (now Jokūbavas, ...
, who later became the rabbi of Kelm; and * Shlomo Zalman Abel, the brother-in-law of
Shimon Shkop Shimon Yehuda Shkop ( he, שמעון שקופ; 1860 – October 22, 1939) was a rosh yeshiva (dean) of the Yeshiva of Telshe and then of Yeshiva Shaar HaTorah of Grodno, and a Talmid Chacham (Talmudic scholar). Early life Shkop was born in T ...
. They received financial assistance from a Jewish banker in
Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitu ...
, Mr. Ovadyah Lachman.


Rabbi Eliezer Gordon

In 1883, Eliezer Gordon was appointed as the ( head rabbi) of the town of Telz and in 1884,
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 ...
(dean) of the yeshiva. A student of Yisrael Salanter, he was a brilliant Talmudist and expert in Torah law who had been appointed by Rabbi Salanter as a '' maggid shiur'' (lecturer) in Salanter's yeshiva at a young age. Gordon 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. Gordon was not satisfied with a yeshiva that served only the younger students in Telz and the vicinity. It eventually became one of the largest in Imperial Russia. He added his son-in-law, Rabbi Yosef Leib Bloch to the faculty and in 1885 he acquired the talents of Rabbi
Shimon Shkop Shimon Yehuda Shkop ( he, שמעון שקופ; 1860 – October 22, 1939) was a rosh yeshiva (dean) of the Yeshiva of Telshe and then of Yeshiva Shaar HaTorah of Grodno, and a Talmid Chacham (Talmudic scholar). Early life Shkop was born in T ...
. Both Bloch and Shkop were innovators in the field of Jewish education, each pioneering new methods and approaches to the study of the
Torah The Torah (; hbo, ''Tōrā'', "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In that sense, Torah means the ...
(
Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
'' Halakha ''Halakha'' (; he, הֲלָכָה, ), also transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Jewish religious laws which is derived from the written and Oral Torah. Halakha is based on biblical commandm ...
(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"). Innovations brought 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). 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'' (analytical study). 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 eventually outgrew their Telz community-provided building and in 1894 moved into a new facility. That year they added a new subject of study—'' mussar'' ("Jewish ethics"). Until then the study of ''mussar'' was a students' personal prerogative; now, it was a part of the yeshiva curriculum. A new faculty position was created: '' mussar mashgiach'' (teacher of ethics). Telz's first ''mussar mashgiach'' was Rabbi Ben Zion Kranitz, a student of Rabbi
Simcha Zissel Ziv Simcha Zissel Ziv Broida ( he, שמחה זיסל זיו; 1824–1898), also known as Simhah Zissel Ziv or the ''Alter of Kelm'' (the Elder of Kelm), was one of the foremost students of Yisrael Salanter and one of the early leaders of the Musar m ...
. Kranitz was 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 students opposed this approach. Chasman later achieved world renown as the senior ''mussar mashgiach'' at the Hebron Yeshiva in
Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
. In 1902, Rabbi
Shimon Shkop Shimon Yehuda Shkop ( he, שמעון שקופ; 1860 – October 22, 1939) was a rosh yeshiva (dean) of the Yeshiva of Telshe and then of Yeshiva Shaar HaTorah of Grodno, and a Talmid Chacham (Talmudic scholar). Early life Shkop was born in T ...
left to become the rabbi of Breinsk, Lithuania. In 1905 Rabbi Chaim Rabinowitz joined the yeshiva to fill this void. 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 Kaunas (; ; also see other names) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the largest city and the centre of a county in the Duchy of Traka ...
, Lithuania. As with his predecessor, Rabinowitz innovated a unique style of Talmudic analysis. In 1910, while fundraising for the yeshiva in London, Rabbi Gordon suffered a heart attack and died. He had stamped his imprint onto the lives of hundreds of young men. Among his students, now rabbis, were: Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman, Elchonon Wasserman,
Zvi Pesach Frank Tzvi Pesach Frank (20 January 1873 – 10 December 1960) (Hebrew: הרב צבי פסח פרנק) was a renowned halachic scholar and served as Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem for several decades (1936-1960). Biography Frank was born in Kovno, Vilna ...
,
Yehezkel Abramsky Yehezkel Abramsky ( he, יחזקאל אברמסקי) (7 February 1886 – 19 September 1976), also affectionately referred to as Reb Chatzkel Abramsky, was a prominent and influential Lithuanian Jewish Orthodox rabbi and scholar, born and raised ...
and others who in turn left their imprint on Jewish society and culture.


Rabbi Yosef Leib Bloch

Rabbi Gordon's 1910 passing saw his son-in-law, Rabbi
Yosef Leib Bloch Rabbi Yosef Yehudah Leib Bloch was a prominent rabbi and ''rosh yeshiva'' in Telshe (Telšiai), Lithuania. Early life Rabbi Bloch was born on February 13, 1860, in Raseiniai, Lithuania, then part of the Russian Empire, to Mordechai and Sara B ...
assuming the mantle of leadership as both rabbi to the community and
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 ...
. Not only was Bloch an innovator in the realms of Talmudic analysis, he also possessed a unique approach to
Torah study Torah study is the study of the Torah, Hebrew Bible, Talmud, responsa, rabbinic literature, and similar works, all of which are Judaism's religious texts. According to Rabbinic Judaism, the study is done for the purpose of the '' mitzvah'' ("co ...
and
Jewish philosophy Jewish philosophy () includes all philosophy carried out by Jews, or in relation to the religion of Judaism. Until modern '' Haskalah'' (Jewish Enlightenment) and Jewish emancipation, Jewish philosophy was preoccupied with attempts to reconcil ...
. In 1920, he established in Telz primary schools for both boys and girls, and also 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. Parallel to 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, although secular studies were only in its ''mechina''. A
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); ...
("postgraduate institute") began in 1922, to train graduates for the rabbinate. Admission required that a student display great promise. Bloch's son-in-law Chaim Mordechai Katz served as dean (''rosh hakollel'').


Yavneh

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 (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserve ...
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 by Rabbi Joseph Leib Bloch of Telz, who hired
Kovno Kaunas (; ; also see other names) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the largest city and the centre of a county in the Duchy of Traka ...
-born Dr. Yitzhak Raphael Etzion (Holzberg) to run it. The school offered a two-year course to young women who wished to enter the field of education. Like its male counterpart, the female division of the Yavneh school succeeded in producing many high quality teachers who branched out across Europe. See also: Sarah Schenirer#Teacher's Seminary;
Seligman Baer Bamberger Seligman Baer (Isaac Dov) Bamberger (born Wiesenbronn, near Kitzingen, Bavaria, 6 November 1807; died Würzburg 13 October 1878) was a Talmudist and a leader of Orthodox Judaism in Germany. Between 1840 and his death he served as rabbi of Würzb ...
's ''Bais Medrash L'Morim''.


Bloch legacy

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 (made up of mostly family members; one of the few compilers who was not family was Rav Dov Yehuda Schochethttp://kevarim.com/rabbi-dov-yehuda-schochet/) was established for the publication of the lectures (''shiurim'') known as Shiurei Da’at, which were lectures on musar and basic principles. Four volumes of such lectures were published. He also had an original approach to halacha and some of his lectures have been published as Shiurei Halacha. 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 The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; ...
yeshiva world. In October 1930, Rabbi Yosef Leib Bloch died, and his second oldest son, Rabbi
Avraham Yitzchak Bloch Avraham Yitzchak Bloch ( he, אברהם יצחק בלוך; 1891–1941) was the '' Rosh yeshiva'' of the Telz Yeshiva in Lithuania, and one of the greatest pre-Holocaust rabbinic figures. Early life Avraham Yitchak Bloch was born in 1891 and was ...
succeeded him as both Rabbi to the community and
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 ...
.


Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Bloch

At the time of Rabbi Yosef Leib Bloch's passing, his son Rabbi
Avraham Yitzchak Bloch Avraham Yitzchak Bloch ( he, אברהם יצחק בלוך; 1891–1941) was the '' Rosh yeshiva'' of the Telz Yeshiva in Lithuania, and one of the greatest pre-Holocaust rabbinic figures. Early life Avraham Yitchak Bloch was born in 1891 and was ...
was only 38 years old; however, he had been lecturing in the
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 ...
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 to maximize traditional Jewish education to as many Jewish children as possible. Schools were made in small towns where there had previously been little or no structured 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. Beyond providing many communities with new educational options, these schools also gave Telzer students another opportunity for self-development and growth. Rabbi Chaim Rabinowitz died a year and a day after the death of Yosef Leib Bloch. Rabinowitz's son, Rabbi Azriel Rabinowitz, a mere age 26, was appointed as a ''rosh yeshiva''. In 1933, the yeshiva built a new building to house the ''mechina'' ("preparatory school"). Until the onset of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, 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 the Fall of 1939, the Russians were allowed to bring troops into Lithuania on the pretext of defending the country. In June 1940, the Russians seized control of the country and quickly transformed it into a "soviet socialist republic." As part of this transformation, private Jewish organizations and schools were disbanded and the yeshiva was closed. Most of the students dispersed, with only about a hundred students remaining in Telshe. The learning was done in groups of 20-25 students, studying in various batai medrashim ("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 continuity 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 ordinarily prohibited on the Sabbath, one must transgress this prohibition in order to save lives and escape great peril. The original faculty, their families and most of the student body who chose to be 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 The Trans-Siberian Railway (TSR; , , ) connects European Russia to the Russian Far East. Spanning a length of over , it is the longest railway line in the world. It runs from the city of Moscow in the west to the city of Vladivostok in the eas ...
to the Far East. The group had somehow acquired visas from the renowned
Chiune Sugihara was a Japanese diplomat who served as vice-consul for the Japanese Empire in Kaunas, Lithuania. During the Second World War, Sugihara helped thousands of Jews flee Europe by issuing transit visas to them so that they could travel through ...
, and became beneficiaries of his admirable action to risk his life to enable people from war-torn Europe to seek refuge elsewhere in the world. Shortly after, the students traveled to Australia. Since some of the students 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 Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...
. As they planned out their next course of action, the group of students reached out to improve the Jewish quality of life in the local Jewish community. Among this group was Rabbi Chaim Stein, who later became Rosh Yeshiva in Wickliffe, Ohio, Rabbi Shlomo Davis who became a teacher and later a senior administrator for the students registrar (retired and living in Lakewood, New Jersey), and Rabbi
Nosson Meir Wachtfogel Nosson Meir Wachtfogel ( he, נתן מאיר וכטפוגל) (18 February 1910 in Kuliai, Lithuania – 21 November 1998 in Lakewood, New Jersey, USA), known as the Lakewood Mashgiach, was an Orthodox rabbi and long-time ''mashgiach ruchan ...
, who later became
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 ...
of Beth Medrash Gevoha in Lakewood,
New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delawa ...
. The local Jewish community, afraid that these scholars would cause a flourishing of orthodoxy, paid for their transit to the US. This group found their way to the United States in early 1941.1941: Once reunited with their Roshei Yeshiva, Rabbi Elya Meir Bloch and Rabbi Chaim Mordechai Katz, they eventually settled in
Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the United States, U.S. U.S. state, state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along ...
, Ohio.


Telshe in the United States

The yeshiva was opened in Cleveland in the house of Yitzchak & Sarah Feigenbaum on November 10, 1941. As of 1954, it became officially titled the Rabbinical College of Telshe. They relocated to the present Wickliffe location in 1957. Telshe 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 Association of Advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic Schools (AARTS) is a faith-based national accreditation association for Rabbinical and Talmudic schools. It is based in New York, NY and is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accredita ...
. The yeshiva has a department of secular studies that grants a high school diploma. In the United States, the yeshiva was initially led by a faculty including the late Rabbis Elya Meir Bloch, Chaim Mordechai Katz,
Boruch Sorotzkin Rephoel Baruch Sorotzkin (February 5, 1917 - February 10, 1979) was the Rosh Yeshiva of the Telz Yeshiva in Cleveland and among American Jewry's foremost religious leaders. He was born on February 5, 1917 (13th of Shevat, 5677) in Zhetl, in the ...
, Mordechai Gifter, Chaim Stein, Aizik Ausband, and Pesach Stein. The 2013 student count of 130 included 80 in grades 9-12; the highest student count, in 1966, was about 425.


Notable alumni

Among the well-known alumni of the yeshiva are: * Rabbi Chaim Yitzchak Hacohen Bloch, Chief rabbi of Bausk and Plunge * Rabbi
Noson Ordman Etz Chaim Yeshiva was a "Lithuanian" Orthodox ''yeshiva'', now advanced ''kollel'', in Golders Green, London, England. It operated as a yeshiva from the early 1900s through the 1990s, when it repositioned to function as the latter. It has ...
, Rosh Yeshiva
Etz Chaim Yeshiva (London) Etz Chaim Yeshiva was a "Lithuanian" Orthodox ''yeshiva'', now advanced ''kollel'', in Golders Green, London, England. It operated as a yeshiva from the early 1900s through the 1990s, when it repositioned to function as the latter. It has ...
*
Ezriel Carlebach Ezriel Carlebach (also ''Azriel''; born Esriel Gotthelf Carlebach, he, עזריאל קרליבך, yi, עזריאל קארלעבאך; November 7, 1908 – February 12, 1956) was a leading journalist and editorial writer during the period of Jewi ...
(1909–1956), Israeli journalist and editorial writer * Rabbi Naftoli Carlebach, Orthodox Jewish rabbi and accountant * Rabbi Nachum Zev Dessler,
Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the United States, U.S. U.S. state, state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along ...
,
Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...
* Rabbi Azriel Goldfein, founding Rosh Yeshiva of
Yeshivah Gedolah of Johannesburg Yeshivah Gedolah of Johannesburg was one of the first Yeshivot established in South Africa. Since its founding in 1978, it has played an important - though understated - role in the South African religious community. It is based in Glenhazel, J ...
* Rabbi
Chaim Gutnick Shneur Chaim (HaKohen) Gutnick (1921 – 25 October 2003) ( Heb.: שניאור-חיים הכהן גוטניק), was a prominent Orthodox Jewish Chabad rabbi in Australia. Early life Gutnick was born in Zolotonosha, Ukraine; soon afterwards his f ...
, Melbourne Australia * Rabbi
Chaim Dov Keller Chaim Dov Keller (1930August 17, 2020) was an American Haredi rabbi, Talmudic scholar, and rosh yeshiva (dean) of the Telshe Yeshiva in Chicago for six decades. He was also a member of the "''Nesius''" (Presidium) of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of ...
,
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
,
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...
. Rosh Yeshiva of Telshe Chicago * Rabbi
Zev Leff Zev Leff is an American-born Haredi rabbi, educator, author, and speaker. After serving as rabbi of the Young Israel of Greater Miami, Florida, for nine years, he and his family moved to Moshav Matityahu, Israel, in 1983, where he is the ''mara ...
, Moshav Mattityahu, Israel * Rabbi
Moshe Leib Rabinovich Moshe Leib Rabinovich (born December 25, 1940 in Munkacs, Hungary) is the current rebbe of Munkacs. Early life Rabinovich was born as the third child to his parents Rabbi Baruch and Frima Rabinovich in Munkacs, Carpathian Ruthenia, the co ...
* Rabbi
Dov Yehuda Schochet DOV or Dov could refer to: ''דב'' or ''דוב'', a Hebrew male given name meaning "bear", from which the Yiddish name "Ber" (בער) was derived ( cognate with "bear") which was common among East European Jews. People * Dov Ber of Mezeritch (170 ...
, Toronto Canada Former Rabbi in Basel Switzerland and former Chief Rabbi of The Hauge Netherlands. Rabbi Schochet was part of a secret society made up of Telz Alumni seeking to keep rabbinic standards throughout the world, and to that effect with great self sacrifice he lived in war torn Europe even after the mass migration to the USA, Israel etc. Many considered him to be a natural choice to join the Telz yeshiva Cleveland leadership, but due to internal "politics" he was not given the position. Rav Schochet settled in Toronto Canada with his wife and ten children, and quickly established himself as a leading force of Judaism in the rabbinic world and as well as a much beloved teacher whose attention to each student was legendary. Following a miraculous story with the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, and studying the Rebbes hashkafa, Rav Schochet became a complete follower of Schneerson in Mind, Body and Spirit. *Rabbi
Avraham Tanzer The Yeshiva College of South Africa (''Yeshivat Beit Yitzchak''), commonly known as Yeshiva College - and formerly known as Yeshivat Bnei Akiva - is South Africa’s largest religious Jewish Day School. The school is headed by Mr Rob Lonsince 201 ...
, Rosh Yeshiva at
Yeshiva College of South Africa The Yeshiva College of South Africa (''Yeshivat Beit Yitzchak''), commonly known as Yeshiva College - and formerly known as Yeshivat Bnei Akiva - is South Africa’s largest religious Jewish Day School. The school is headed by Mr Rob Lonsince 2 ...


Branches

* Telshe Chicago. 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 ( he, קִרְיַת יְעָרִים), also known as Telz-Stone, is an strictly Orthodox town in the Jerusalem District of Israel. It is located in the approximate area of an ancient place mentioned in the Bible, from which it takes its name. ...
(Telz-Stone),
Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
. In 1977 Rabbi 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 Sorotzkin died, Rabbi Gifter was asked to return to Cleveland and the Israeli branch closed.Rose, Binyamin. "The Prince of America's Torah Renaissance: An appreciation of Rav Mordechai Gifter, ztz"l, on his tenth yahrtzeit". ''
Mishpacha ''Mishpacha'' ( he, משפחה, : Family) - Jewish Family Weekly is a Haredi weekly magazine package produced by The Mishpacha Group in both English and Hebrew. History The Mishpacha Publishing Group was founded in 1984 with the publication ...
'', 29 December 2010, pp. 33–34.
*
Yeshiva of Telshe Alumni A branch of the Telshe Yeshiva, the Yeshiva of Telshe Alumni is located in the Hudson Hill section of Riverdale, a neighborhood of the Bronx in New York City. It was founded in the early 1980s by Rabbi Avraham Ausband, a grandson of Rabbi ...
. In the early 1980s, Rabbi Avraham Ausband, a grandson of the ''Telzer Rov'' Rabbi
Avraham Yitzchak Bloch Avraham Yitzchak Bloch ( he, אברהם יצחק בלוך; 1891–1941) was the '' Rosh yeshiva'' of the Telz Yeshiva in Lithuania, and one of the greatest pre-Holocaust rabbinic figures. Early life Avraham Yitchak Bloch was born in 1891 and was ...
, was sent to open up the
Yeshiva of Telshe Alumni A branch of the Telshe Yeshiva, the Yeshiva of Telshe Alumni is located in the Hudson Hill section of Riverdale, a neighborhood of the Bronx in New York City. It was founded in the early 1980s by Rabbi Avraham Ausband, a grandson of Rabbi ...
in
Riverdale, New York Riverdale is a residential neighborhood in the northwestern portion of the New York City borough of the Bronx. Riverdale, which had a population of 47,850 as of the 2000 United States Census, contains the city's northernmost point, at the College ...
by his Rebbe, Rabbi Mordechai Gifter. * Birchas Chaim. In 2001 Rabbi Chaim Stein's son, Rabbi Shmuel Zalman Stein, opened Yeshivah Birchas Chaim in Lakewood, NJ.


Gallery

File:Telšių ješibotas 1.jpg, Telšiai Yeshiva art File:Telšių ješibotas 2.jpg, Telšiai Yeshiva building


See also

* Holocaust in Telšiai


References


External links


An explanation and synopsis of the ''Telzer Derech''




* ttp://www.shtetlinks.jewishgen.org/telz/Telz1.html History of the town of Telsiai (shtetlinks)
The Ohel Tomb of Reb Eliezer Gordon in Edmonton Beis Olam London with photos of the Matzeivo
{{authority control Education in Cleveland Educational institutions established in 1875 Haredi Judaism in the United States Haredi yeshivas High schools in Lake County, Ohio Lithuanian-American culture in Ohio Lithuanian-Jewish culture in the United States
Rabbinical College of Telshe Telshe Yeshiva (also spelled ''Telz'') is a yeshiva in Wickliffe, Ohio, formerly located in Telšiai, Lithuania. During World War II the yeshiva began relocating to Wickliffe, Ohio, in the United States and is now known as the Rabbinical Colleg ...
Orthodox yeshivas in the United States Telšiai Jews and Judaism in Telšiai Seminaries and theological colleges in Ohio Yeshivas of Lithuania Private high schools in Ohio The Holocaust in Lithuania Pre-World War II European yeshivas Haredi Judaism in Lithuania 1875 establishments in the Russian Empire