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.
Rabbi Joseph Green was the first Rosh Yeshiva, and Rabbi Moshe Yitzchak Segal, later Rosh Yeshiva in Manchester, served as mashgiach ruchani.
[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. Rabbi Elyah Lopian was mashgiach ruchani from 1926 - 1950.[5]
Rabbi Leib Gurwicz, the latter's son in law and future Rosh Yeshiva at Gateshead, taught in the Yeshiva in the 1940s. Rabbi Hirsch Neumann taught in the yeshiva in the 1920s [6]
Greenspan was succeeded by Rabbi Noson Ordman (1906-1996).
[7]
[8]
Born in Tavrik, Lithuania, Rabbi Ordman was a 14 year alumnus of Telz Yeshiva; he came to London in 1936, and headed Etz Chaim for more than 50 years.
From 1976 through the early 1980's Rabbi Aharon Pfeuffer led the Yeshiva alongside Rabbi Ordman.
In the 1960's the yeshiva had experienced a decline, with students drawn to Israeli and American yeshivas.[7] Under Pfeuffer the Yeshiva saw a re-invigoration, attracting British talmidim studying at Israeli Yeshivas, particularly Mir and Hebron.
It thus continued its operation with several dozen students.
In the 1990's, Rabbi Zvi Rabi became Rosh Yeshiva.
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.
[2]
Its regular minyan (congregation) is today associated with the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations.
[9]
Rabbi Rabi headed the institution until his passing in 2020.
