Avrohom Gurwicz


Avrohom Gurwicz is a British Orthodox rabbi and Talmudic scholar. Since 1982 he has been the rosh yeshivah of Gateshead Talmudical College, a yeshiva in Gateshead, England, where he has been giving the largest shiur in Europe with approximately 400 students attending, for approximately half a century. Additionally, he is the president of Gateshead Community Kollel, established 2021.

Biography

Gurwicz was born in London, United Kingdom, in 1936. He is the second son of Rabbi Leib Gurwicz, the previous Gateshead rosh yeshivah. He is the grandson of Rabbi Elyah Lopian and son-in-law of Reb Elyah's son, Rabbi Leib Lopian. Through his father's mother, he is a descendant of the Vilna Gaon.
In the mid-1950s, he spent several years as a student at Yeshivas Brisk in Jerusalem, where he developed a close relationship with the Brisker Rav. In 1963, he became a maggid shiur at Gateshead Yeshiva. His marriage to his first cousin, the daughter of Rabbi Leib and Tzipa Lopian, was finalised after a Goral HaGra performed by their mutual grandfather, Rabbi Elya Lopian. In his early years, he also studied in Gateshead Kolel.
Gurwicz is a brother-in-law and cousin to Rabbi Tzvi Kushelevsky, head of the Heichal Hatorah beTzion yeshiva in Jerusalem. Among his sons-in-law is Rabbi Nissan Kaplan, the rosh yeshiva of Daas Ahron and former maggid shiur in the Mir yeshiva in Jerusalem.
Following the death of both his father, Rabbi Leib Gurwicz, and his father-in-law, Rabbi Leib Lopian, he ascended to the position of Rosh Yeshivah of Gateshead Yeshiva. He delivers a daily Gemara shiur in Yiddish, beginning each one with a mussar lesson from Chovos Halevavos.
In February 2025, Gurwicz announced that the Haredi community should leave the United Kingdom should the Schools Bill be passed. In March 2025, he supported voting in the World Zionist Congress elections for the Eretz Hakodesh party.

Works

  • Anfei Erez, 4 volumes on various sugyas in Shas.
  • Ve'anafeha Arzei El on the Torah and Jewish holidaysLeket Hearos, notes from the shiurim he has given.