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

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

Since the State of Israel was declared in 1948, students enrolled full-time at a religious school, or yeshiva, have been exempted from conscription.

From BBC • Feb. 16, 2026

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

Most had studied in yeshiva until age 26, which had allowed them military exemptions.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 25, 2024

The building complex of the Kahal Adass Jisroel community in the center of Berlin houses a synagogue, a kindergarten, a yeshiva school and a community center.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 18, 2023

There’s pretty, petite Mimi and her much older husband, Bernardo, and their children, Amaryllis and Abie, who go to yeshiva and know all the Hebrew prayers.

From "Lucky Broken Girl" by Ruth Behar