Rosh Yeshiva
/ˌroʊʃ jəˈʃiːvə/noun
The head or principal of a yeshiva, especially a traditional Jewish religious academy.
Did you know?In rabbinic Hebrew, yeshiva literally evokes “sitting,” reflecting the traditional image of scholars seated together in intensive Torah study.
Etymological Timeline
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
רֹאשׁ (rosh)
“Head; top; chief or leader”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
יָשַׁב (yashav)
“To sit, dwell, or remain”
Late Antique Hebrew and Aramaic
Hebrew/Aramaic
יְשִׁיבָה (yeshiva)
“A sitting, session, or scholarly assembly”
Talmudic Period
Aramaic
רֵישׁ מְתִיבְתָא (resh metivta)
“Head of the academy; the leader of a rabbinic school”
Medieval Hebrew
Hebrew
רֹאשׁ יְשִׁיבָה (rosh yeshiva)
“Head of a yeshiva or Torah academy”
Modern English
English
rosh yeshiva
“The principal or senior scholar of a Jewish religious academy”
Explore more surprising origins