History of the Gateshead Yeshiva

our thoughts

A letter from the association

Gateshead Yeshiva Alumni Association (GYAA) was formed in the late 1960’s.

The key players were Arnold Cohen, David Chontow, and Rabbi Jeffery (Chaim Yaakov) Davis o’h,
Avrohom Goldberg o’h, Chaim Guttentag o’h, Yitzchok Katz and Dov Rowe. A number of fundraising dinners were made in the 70’s and 80’s and 90’s but then the public side of the Alumni was dormant until the first dinner in July 2011.

Annual shiurim were arranged before Rosh Hashonoh each year – given originally by Rabbi Leib
Lopian, then Rabbi Matisyohu Solomon (Mashgiach of Gateshead Yeshiva and currently Lakewood)
and more recently by Rabbi Mordechai Yosef Karnowsky But during the dormant period, the alumni was very active ‘behind the scenes’ raising hundreds of thousands of pounds for the yeshiva, arranging regular shiurim in London for the Roshei yeshiva, accompanying them on their fund raising trips and providing much help to the hanholoh.

In 2014, a second dinner was arranged, and at the same time a new initiative was launched to provide a link to all the alumni – using technologies of the digital era:

  1. A newsgroup for all the alumni to be in touch with each other via email. A prototype was set up in January 2014 for the Dinner Committee and a second one was launched before the Dinner to which attendees of the dinner were subscribed. To join this newsgroup, please email [email protected].
  2. Website for the Alumni. The main purpose of this is to share general information about the Yeshiva and provide statistics about the alumni, key personalities. A list of all GY alumni.
  3. Details of any forthcoming visits or shiurim by the members of the Hanholoh
  4. And for the future a constantly updated list of all alumni (names, time in yeshiva & city – only) A live site for alumni to enter their own details, if they so wish, and to swap anecdotes.
  5. Eventually both services will become a source of networking to swap business details and
    opportunities, contacts when on travel to new places, news of social events among the alumni and perhaps a repository for shiurim at the yeshiva that are digitally recorded. But it will be moderated to ensure that only “kosher stuff” is shown.

History Timeline

1929

The Early Years

1929 Gateshead Yeshiva was founded
1931 Reb Eliezer Kahan זצ”ל joined the Yeshiva
1931 179 Bewick Road was purchased
1946 Reb Leib Lopian ז צ”ל joined the Yeshiva
1948 Reb Moshe Schwab זצ”ל joined the Yeshiva
1948 Reb Leib Gurwicz ז צ”ל joined the Yeshiva
1948 Mr Wagschal נ”י joined the Yeshiva
1953 Reb Zeev Cohen זצ”ל joined the Yeshiva

1960

Into the 1960’s

Beis Hamedrash, Otzar, Dining Room and Offices built 1961
Mr Esofsky זצ”ל joined the Yeshiva 1961
Reb Avrohom Gurwicz שליט”א joined the Yeshiva 1963
Neve Shlomo Building Opened 1963
Reb Matisyohu Salomon שליט”א joined the Yeshiva 1967

1970

The decade of the 70’s

1972 Charles Wolfson extension Opened
1973 Hubert Sifrei Torah
1975 Purchase of flats on Windermere Street
1977 Reb Ezriel Rosenbaum שליט”א joined the Yeshiva
1977 Reb Yosef Aaron Oppenheimer שליט”א joined the Yeshiva
1978 Reb Shoul Cohen ז צ”ל joined the Yeshiva
1979 Jubilee Celebration in London

1980

The 1980s

Mr Lebrecht נ”י joined the Yeshiva 1987
Reb Chaim Ozer Gurwicz שליט”א joined the Yeshiva 1987
Reb Mordechai Yosef Karnowsky שליט”א joined the Yeshiva 1987
Mr Henoch Weiss Sefer Torah 1988

1990

The 1990’s

1990 Mr Guttentag נ”י joined the Yeshiva
1990 Purchase of 58 and 60 Rectory Road
1991 Sebba House dormitory block built
1997 Tiferes Yonoson constructed

2000

Turn of the century

Renovation and Expansion of Olsberg Library 2003
Reb Gershon Miller שליט”א joined the Yeshiva 2003
Leo Noe Wing extension built 2003
Hachnosas Neviim by Family Sandler 2006
Refurbishment and Upgrade of Bluston Kitchen 2007
Reb Shimshon Refoel Lieberman שליט”א joined the Yeshiva 2008

2010

Recent years

2013 Rabbis Eli Gurwicz שליט”א joined the Yeshiva
2013 Shimon Grun שליט”א joined the Yeshiva
2013 Yakov Yehuda Rosenbaum שליט”א joined the Yeshiva
2014 Reb Gershon Miller and Reb Eli Gurwicz joined the Hanholo
2014 Mr. Shmuel Berger Sefer Torah
2015 Refurbishment of the Rosh Hayeshiva’s Shiur Room
2015 All Shiur Rooms are air conditioned by the Bluston Fund
2016 Rabbi Simcha Feld joined the Yeshiva
2017 Rabbi Chaim Grunwald joined the Yeshiva