Etz Chaim Yeshiva (Manhattan)

Etz Chaim Yeshiva was founded in 1886 on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, New York City. It was founded as a cheder-style elementary school and merged with the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary in 1915 to form the Rabbinical College of America, upon which the elementary grades of Etz Chaim were discontinued, leaving only the high school, the predecessor of today's Masha Stern Talmudical Academy. The Rabbinical College of America developed into Yeshiva College and later Yeshiva University.

History
On September 15, 1886 the Chebra Machsika Ishiwas Eitz Chaim was incorporated in the City of New York by a group a laymen and Rabbis. Purpose of the school, as described in the certificate of incorporation, was to instruct Jewish boys in the "Sacred Scriptures, the Talmud, and the Hebrew Language and Literature" as well as providing instruction in "reading, writing, and speaking the English Language."

From 1890 until 1897, the Etz Chaim Yeshiva operated in a house at 1 Canal Street. The school moved to 85 Henry Street in 1897, where it remained until 1915.

In 1905, the Etz Chaim Yeshiva had around 175 students, who were divided into six classes. Two studied Chumash (Pentateuch) and the other four studied Talmud. The school day went from 9AM to 6PM. The periods of 9AM to 12PM and 1PM to 4PM were devoted to Religious Jewish Studies, with secular studies instruction offered from 4PM to 6PM.