Wikipedia's first sentence called it “haredi yeshiva in lakewood township”. Today it says “haredi jewish”. The one-line description Wikipedia serves to search engines and AI systems read “BMG - 7th Street Study Hall 1943”. It now reads “Largest yeshiva in the US”.
Measured, not asserted. Every count, date and revision on this page was taken from Wikipedia's own history and checked against the live article. The words quoted are theirs.
Machine-checked against the full current article on 2026-08-03.
We saved snapshots of this article over twenty years; you are reading the 2015 one. Red dashes: removed from Wikipedia since.Pale dots: rewritten; the numbered note shows what it says now.Red text: written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot.1 tap a number or a side note to jump between them
The opening as it read in 2015
Beth Medrash Govoha ( ) (lit: Higher, or advanced, House of Study) is a Haredi yeshiva located in Lakewood Township , New Jersey . It is commonly known as BMG, or Lakewood Yeshiva. It was founded in 1943 by Rabbi Aharon Kotler and Rabbi Nosson Meir Wachtfogel . As of 2012, the yeshiva has 6,500 married and undergraduate students, making it one of the largest yeshivas in the world. Over the years, the roshei yeshiva of BMG have all been associated with the Kotler family, beginning with Rabbi Aharon Kotler from 1943 until his death in 1962; Rabbi Shneur Kotler , his son, who led the yeshiva from 1962 until his death in 1982; and the present roshei yeshiva , Rabbi Malkiel Kotler (son of Shneur Kotler), Rabbi Dovid Schustal (son-in-law of Shneur Kotler), Rabbi Yerucham Olshin and Rabbi Yisroel Neuman (sons-in-law of Rabbi Dov Schwartzman ). Rabbis Olshin, Schustal and Neuman are married to grandchildren of Rabbi Aharon Kotler. To manage the huge enrollment, the four roshei yeshiva divide up the times they deliver shiurim (Torah lectures) in the various battei medrash (study halls) on campus. There are also 240 roshei chabura (heads of small study groups) who guide and encourage groups of students in the yeshiva's trademark style of independent learning. "'There is a Future for Torah in America': A roundtable discussion of Hagaon Harav Aharon Kotler's accomplishments and legacy, with the roshei yeshivah and administrators of Bais Medrash Govoha".1
This is Wikipedia's own text, saved in our repository. Their copy of it is revision 663221720.
The opening as it stood in 2010
40°05′44″N 74°13′19″W  /  40.0955°N 74.222°W  / 40.0955; -74.222 Beth Medrash Govoha ( Hebrew : בית מדרש גבוה ) is a Haredi yeshiva in Lakewood Township , New Jersey . It is commonly known as Bais Medrash Govoha, BMG, or Lakewood Yeshiva. The yeshiva was founded in 1943 by Rabbi Aharon Kotler and currently has nearly 6,000 students making it one of the largest yeshivas in the world. The campus consists of four main buildings containing over eight study halls available and numerous residence halls. The yeshiva is licensed by the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education and accredited by the Association of Advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic Schools . It is authorized to grant bachelor's degrees and master's degrees in Talmudics , as well as a post-master's certificate in Talmudic studies.
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 371011923.
The opening as it stood in 2020 9 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear
It is the second-largest yeshiva in the world, after Mir Yeshiva in Jerusalem .As of 2019, it had 6,715 students, 2,748 regular and 3,967 in Kollel status.The principal Rosh yeshiva since 1982 is Rabbi Malkiel Kotler .Talmud and halakha studies in the institution are carried in the form of over 200 small groups, Chaburos , which consist of several students mentored by a veteran, each pursuing its own specific curriculum with an emphasis on individual learning.A few thousand young men in black suits and wide-brimmed black hats are rushing toward Beth Medrash Gohova (BMG), the world's largest yeshiva outside of Israel.
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 962559621.
The opening as it stood on October 6, 2023
Beth Medrash Govoha ( , pronounced : Beis Medrash Gavo'ha . lit: "High House of Learning"; also known as Lakewood Yeshiva or BMG ) is a Haredi Jewish Lithuanian yeshiva in Lakewood Township, New Jersey .It was founded by Rabbi Aaron Kotler in 1943 and is the second-largest yeshiva in the world, after Mir Yeshiva in Jerusalem . As of 2019, it had 6,715 students, 2,748 regular and 3,967 in Kollel status. The principal Rosh yeshiva since 1982 is Rabbi Malkiel Kotler . Talmud and halakha studies in the institution are carried in the form of over 200 small groups, Chaburos , which consist of several students mentored by a veteran, each pursuing its own specific curriculum with an emphasis on individual learning. A few thousand young men in black suits and wide-brimmed black hats are rushing toward Beth Medrash Gohova (BMG), the world's largest yeshiva outside of Israel.
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 1171563697.
The opening as it stood in 2025 1 passage from the previous snapshot no longer appear
Jewish school in the US Beth Medrash Govoha ( Hebrew : בית מדרש גבוה , pronounced : Beis Medrash Gavo'ha . lit: "High House of Learning"; also known as Lakewood Yeshiva or BMG ) is a Haredi Jewish Litvishe yeshiva in Lakewood Township, New Jersey . It was founded by Rabbi Aharon Kotler in 1943 and is the second-largest yeshiva in the world, after Mir Yeshiva in Jerusalem . As of 2025, it had over 9,000 students, between bochurim (unmarried members) and married with Kollel status. The principal Rosh yeshiva since 1982 is Rabbi Malkiel Kotler . Talmud and halakha studies in the institution are carried in the form of over 200 small groups, Chaburos , which consist of several students mentored by a veteran, each pursuing its own specific curriculum with an emphasis on individual learning. A few thousand young men in black suits and wide-brimmed black hats are rushing toward Beth Medrash Gohova (BMG), the world's largest yeshiva outside of Israel.
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 1296983270. This is our newest snapshot; the live article may have moved again since.
Today
Wikipedia's first sentence called it “haredi yeshiva in lakewood township”. Today it says “haredi jewish”. The one-line description Wikipedia serves to search engines and AI systems read “BMG - 7th Street Study Hall 1943”. It now reads “Largest yeshiva in the US”. Read the current article and compare.
2010
2015
2020
Oct '23
2025
Counts in the opening at each snapshot. Green: the word gained ground. Red: it was cut. Grey: no change.
What Wikipedia says this is
Every article opens by defining its subject. This one was redefined since 2010, and today's defining sentence is their current revision.
Then
haredi yeshiva in lakewood township
Now
haredi jewish
Struck red text is no longer in the article; dotted amber text was rewritten. Every revision id links to Wikipedia's copy; the text shown is our own saved copy. Data: /data. Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA; quoted for the record; not affiliated with Wikipedia.
