[2] It has several prominent alumni including Commonwealth Chief Rabbis Immanuel Jakobovits and Jonathan Sacks.

The yeshiva was founded in about 1900 in London's East End, where it occupied a campus on Thrawl Street; [3] Rabbi Aharon Hyman was one of the founders.

[4] During World War I, Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook was associated with the Yeshiva during his stay in London.

Rabbi Nachman Shlomo Greenspan succeeded Green as rosh yeshiva from 1918 to 1961.

During this time, Etz Chaim relocated to Bridge Lane, Golders Green, when it was repositioned so as to function as a specialized bet midrash comprising several advanced kollels and chaburahs — focusing separately on Choshen Mishpat, Yoreh Deah, Seder Tohorot, and in depth Amud Yomi.