1567 CE: “JESHIVA”

Jewish school – possibly accommodating 5–25 year olds – founded in Poland.

Connected with Rav Moses Isserles (lived 1520-1572 CE). Details of Jeshiva remain sketchy.

Note that subsequent to local and/or nationwide French, English, German, Swiss, Czech, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian expulsions of the Jews (sometimes overlapping or simultaneous) spanning the prior 500-1000 years, Poland had emerged as an important Jewish haven.

***

Due to similar dynamics, Lithuania also emerged as a key Jewish intellectual center.

Note that over the centuries Lithuania has been intermittently Prussian Russian, Polish, independent, and Nazi-occupied). Lithuania, situated in Northern Europe, is the southernmost of the three Balticstates – Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania. Lithuania emerged as the center of gravity of the great yeshivas of Europe pre-Hitler.

These would ultimately include the iconic institutions of higher Talmudic study –
Volozhin
Ponovezh
Mir
Brisk
Telz

– and, offshoot yeshiva movements
(with some emphasis on slightly broader Jewish studies)
Salanter
Brisker (ultimately morphs to Yeshiva University/
Modern Orthodox in Washington Heights,
Manhattan in the 20th century)