yeshiva

American  

[yuh-shee-vuh] / jəˈʃi və /

Or yeshivah

noun

1. an Orthodox Jewish school for the religious and secular education of children of elementary school age.

2. an Orthodox Jewish school of higher instruction in Jewish learning, chiefly for students preparing to enter the rabbinate.

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yeshiva British  

/ jəˈʃiːva, jəˈʃiːvə /

noun

1. a traditional Jewish school devoted chiefly to the study of rabbinic literature and the Talmud

2. a school run by Orthodox Jews for children of primary school age, providing both religious and secular instruction

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Etymology

Origin of yeshiva

1925–30; < Hebrew (post-Biblical) yəshībhāh literally, a sitting

Explanation

A yeshiva is a Jewish school or college where students study religious texts. It used to be that only boys attended yeshivas, but today many of them are co-educational. Yeshivas have existed in various forms for thousands of years and are very important to Judaism. Yeshiva students study the Talmud and the Torah, as well as other religious books, and often take additional nonreligious classes. The scholarship at these schools varies between Orthodox and non-Orthodox branches, as well as between age groups. The word yeshiva comes from the Hebrew yesibah, "academy," or literally "a sitting."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

yeshiva

Cohen Tzedek said he didn’t fit in at his yeshiva, a Jewish religious school, and struggled with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026

Nudelman and her colleagues reported the incident to the head of the yeshiva, who vowed to take action.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026

The current yeshiva argued that it needed additional space for its students.

From BBC ● Jun. 12, 2026

Three families live in tarpaulin-covered shelters full of bunk beds for some 50 young men, who study in a yeshiva that is a shabby prefab structure surrounded by abandoned toys, building materials and garbage.

From New York Times ● Feb. 25, 2024

Virtuosity in Talmud was the achievement most sought after by every student of a yeshiva, for it was the automatic guarantee of a reputation for brilliance.

From "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok