Radin Yeshiva

The Radin Yeshiva, originally located in Radun, Vilna Governorate, Russian Empire (now in Belarus), was established by Rabbi Israel Meir Kagan (known as the Chofetz Chaim after the title of his well-known sefer) in 1869.

In 1869 when the Chofetz Chaim returned from Vasilishki to Radun his first action was to establish a group to whom he could spread the knowledge of Torah.

The founding of the yeshiva is mentioned in one of the letters of the Chofetz Chaim: Although at the time Raduń was practically an isolated village, away from undesirable urban distractions and an ideal location for establishing a place of Torah study, living conditions were difficult.

This meant that the chances of garnering enough local financial support to run a large and prosperous institution were low.

After some time a kitchen was opened by the wife of the Chofetz Chaim and she together with other women would collect provisions and cook meals which were served to the students in the yeshiva building.

In 1904, after the influx of students, the local Beth midrash became too small to accommodate the yeshiva and a new building was constructed to house the college.

However, as the years progressed, so did the student intake and with pupils now numbering in the hundreds, some were forced to study in the local synagogue.

This set up was not favoured by the faculty who decided that a new, larger building, able to hold the entire student roll, was needed.

After the outbreak of war between Germany and Russia in 1914, the Chofetz Chaim worried about the potential German occupation and the effect it would have on the yeshiva.

The move back to Raduń was hastened with the death of Rabbi Hersh Leib Levinson in 1921 after a short illness.

[1] After encountering difficulties in obtaining permission to travel and cross the border into newly independent Poland, the yeshiva was delayed in Minsk for around two months.

The Germans had confiscated the building for use as a horse stable and ammunition store, forcing the students to occupy the local Beth midrash.

Rabbi Avraham Trop also gave lectures in his fathers style which proved popular with the older students.

When conditions in Vilna became too crowded, the yeshiva decided to split in two again, with one half locating to Eishyshok under Yehoshua Levinson and the other to Otian.

The son of Rabbi Moshe Landynski settled in Netanya, Israel where he also established a yeshiva in memory of Radun.