 Naftoli Trop was born in Grodno, where he studied with his father, Rabbi Moshe Trop, who was "rosh yeshiva" of a local yeshiva.At 14, he left to learn in Kelm, where his study partner for ten years was Yerucham Levovitz, who went on to become "mashgiach" of the Mir yeshiva.Rabbi Trop proceeded to briefly study in Slabodka and Telz, where he became close to Eliezer Gordon.