 The yeshiva was founded in 1953 at the behest of Rabbi Aaron Kotler, the Rosh Yeshiva of Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, New Jersey.It was first headed by Rabbi Shmuel Kamenetzky and Rabbi Dov Schwartzman.The yeshiva's first location was at Thirteenth and Berks Streets in the Strawberry Mansion neighborhood of Philadelphia.