yeshiva

American  

[yuh-shee-vuh] / yəˈʃi 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

Example Sentences

When he reached New York, he enrolled in a yeshiva to resume his Talmud studies—as his parents would have desired—but soon left after finding he could no longer accept all of the doctrines.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026

It is reported to affect about 50,000 yeshiva students.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2024

Yair Margolis, an army reservist who was called up from his yeshiva studies last year to fight in Gaza, said during a recent break from battle that the war had a clear spiritual dimension.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2024

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