Gateshead Talmudical College

Charity Details

Full Name: Gateshead Talmudical College
Field: Religion
Founded: 1929
Headquarters: Gateshead, NE8 1UB
Charity No: 527414

History and Activities

Gateshead Talmudical College, popularly known as the Gateshead Yeshiva, was established in 1929 by Reb Dovid Dryanis. It is the largest Yeshiva in Europe and one of the most prestigious in the Orthodox world. The Yeshiva has a student population of about 300, typically young men aged between 15 and 23, who study traditional religious texts. Gateshead is home to a population of 8,000 Jews and lays claim to being the UK’s fastest growing Jewish community.

The Gateshead Yeshiva is renowned as a deeply Haredi institution. Haredi Judaism is characterised by a rejection of modern secular culture. Its adherents are seen by many as ultra-conservative, but within the Orthodox Jewish community the Haredi are regarded as one of the most authentic factions within Judaism. In highlighting the importance of the Yeshiva to the town, Jonathan Arkush, the President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, has called Gateshead “a unique university town for the very devout and a citadel of Orthodox intellectualism.”

The main source of the Yeshiva’s income is derived from gifts, donations and legacies, which in 2017 totalled £2.25 million. This is largely spent on providing tuition, scholarships and grants. The school's excellent reputation within the Jewish community has helped to create a community of first-class Jewish religious teachers, which in turn has helped make Gateshead a leading centre of intellectual activity within the Haredi community.

Vital Statistics (year to 28/02/2017)

References