The Concept of Yeshiva has a Rich History

Like many terms in Judaism, the word “yeshivah” resonates with many related meanings.

Literally, yeshivah refers to “the act of sitting,” which for Jews means the act of studying — sort of like for Zen Buddhists the act of sitting (Zazen) means meditating. What else would Jews do, especially in the Ashkenazic world, when they get together but study Torah? And by Torah what is meant is not just the Written Torah (the Five Books of Moses), but the Oral Torah (primarily the Talmud). Therefore, probably the most common understanding of the word yeshiva is the place where Orthodox young men who are rabbinical students gather to study Talmudic literature and tangential subjects. Throughout Europe over the centuries, especially in Eastern Europe, yeshivas became prominent. In Yiddish, a young rabbi-to-be would be known as a “yeshivah bachur.”

A yeshiva student might look forward to “semikha” (Hebrew for “support”) which took the form of an older man placing his hands on the head or shoulders of the younger, and through this laying on of hands transmitting authority from one generation to another. This tradition goes back well over 3,000 years: the Bible teaches us that Moses passed on the mantle of leadership to Joshua in this way.

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Semikha continued for many centuries into the early rabbinical era but was then discontinued. This tradition was brought back to life in the late Middle Ages. At yeshivah graduation, a “bachur” is ordained-receiving semikha. Sometimes, in the traditional world, semikha is granted privately. Reform and Conservative rabbis and other non-Orthodox graduates also receive semikha upon ordination.

What of Yeshiva University? Clearly the word yeshivah describes a college or, in this case, a university wherein the study of the Talmud and related material is central. However, in the case of Yeshiva University, many other subjects, secular in nature, are also offered: the hard and social sciences, liberal arts, medicine and education, for example. Yeshiva University began as a Talmudic academy and later a rabbinical seminary was added in the 19th century; in the 20th century, these institutions were brought together into the creation of Yeshiva College, which then developed into a university.

The word yeshivah describes schools for elementary students, and (as here in Atlanta) high school students. Usually, these institutions are day schools where children or young adults learn Jewish and secular subjects. Sometimes the Hebrew term “yeshivah ketana” (little yeshiva) is used for schools for children.

The history of yeshivot (plural for yeshiva) is very old. There were prominent yeshivas is both the Land of Israel and in Babylonia in ancient times and often these academies stood for centuries. In Eretz Yisrael, the ancient rabbinic leaders of schools of learning included Hillel, Yochanan ben Zakkai, Akiva, and Judah Hanasi. Out of this great tradition, the Mishnah was produced. Later in Israel, as a commentary on the Mishnah, the Jerusalem Talmud came to be. All in all, in Jerusalem and in the north near the Sea of Galilee, these academies flourished for well over 1,000 years.

Unfortunately, the issue of antisemitism in colleges and universities has again become a salient problem over the past year, as Israel responds to the Hamas pogrom of Oct. 7, 2023. In particular, the American Jewish community grows more and more alarmed at the overt hatred of Jews evident at many well-known academic institutions, and the lackluster response of school administrators to this challenge. Our struggles as a people to be fully accepted, which we had thought were in the past, apparently are not. Part of the answer may be to continue to create our own schools, such as the Yeshivah, as we have done for thousands of years.