Yeshiva
/jəˈʃiːvə/noun
A Jewish institution devoted primarily to the study of the Talmud and traditional religious texts.
Did you know?Yeshiva comes from the Hebrew root י־ש־ב, meaning “to sit” or “to dwell,” the same root behind Hebrew terms for settlement and community.
Etymological Timeline
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
יָשַׁב (yashav)
“To sit, remain, dwell, or settle”
Late Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
יְשִׁיבָה (yeshivah)
“A sitting, session, or place of assembly”
Rabbinic Period
Mishnaic Hebrew
yeshivah
“A scholarly sitting or gathering for religious learning”
Talmudic Period
Aramaic/Hebrew
metivta / yeshivah
“An organized academy or session of rabbinic study”
18th–19th Century
Yiddish
yeshive
“A Jewish religious academy, especially one centered on Talmud study”
19th Century–Modern English
English
yeshiva
“A Jewish institution for traditional religious and Talmudic education”