Sunderland Talmudical College

The Sunderland Talmudical College (Hebrew: ישיבת שארית הפליטה נצח ישראל), popularly known as Sunderland Yeshiva, was founded in the city of Sunderland in the United Kingdom in October 1946 by Rabbi Aryeh Leib Grossnass and Rabbi Zushe Waltner at the initiative of Rabbi Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler. It re-located to Gateshead in June 1988, albeit keeping its original name, due to the dwindling size of the Jewish community in Sunderland, particularly the Orthodox section of the community. In its early years it catered for students from North Africa. The student body currently numbers at close to 90 (2024). Students are mainly English; however, there are also students from Switzerland, Belgium and the USA.

Faculty

The first rosh yeshiva (dean) was Rabbi Zusha Waltner, who was succeeded by Rabbi Shammai Zahn. The current rosh yeshiva is Rabbi Yankel Ehrentreu, and the head of kibbutz is Rabbi Avrohom Ehrentreu.

The list of faculty, many who are part of the extended Ehrentreu-Zahn families, include:

•Rabbi Moshe Salomon, mashgiach

• Rabbi Avrohom Chaim Zahn, morning Maggid Shiur of Shiur Alef

• Rabbi Shlomo Klyne, afternoon Maggid Shiur of Shiur Alef

• Rabbi Shmuel Wolf, Morning Maggid shiur of Shiur Beis

• Rabbi Yankel Rubenstein, afternoon Maggid Shiur of Shiur Beis

• Rabbi Dovid Zahn, morning Maggid Shiur of Shiur Gimmel

• Rabbi Chaim Roberts, Rosh Chabura of Shiur Gimmel

The Kibbutz

The Kibbutz, a collection of top students from high-calibre yeshivas, is a more recent addition to the yeshiva, having been established in 1996 by Reb Yechezkel Ehrentreu. The head of the Kibbutz, Rabbi Avrohom Ehrentreu is a disciple of Rabbi Chatzkel Levenstein, and is head of the Gateshead Va'ad Horabonim with two other rabbis. The mashgiach of the Kibbutz is Rabbi Ephraim Shmuel Zahn.