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2000s

Letter from Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik about Necessary Changes to the Yeshiva Curriculum (1950s)

Yeshiva University Jewish Education
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2001 Statement to RIETS Dinner (2001)

My predecessor, Dr. Belkin, o.b.m., determined at one point in his career that the function of Yeshiva/RIETS was to be primarily educational, and leave communal affairs to other relevant organizations, such as the RCA and OUJCA. In other words, he decided that YU’s business was educational, not that of a communal movement. When I came into office twenty-five years ago, that problem was uppermost in my mind, and there were forces agitating for both points of view. I decided that without ever giving up our primary educational goal, YU/RIETS must undertake greater communal responsibilities. Let me explain why the change.Yeshiva’s policy made sense in the conditions that prevailed at that time. The RCA, together with the Rabbinic Alumni of Yeshiva, was a force in both Orthodox and general Jewish communal life. Pulpit rabbis were prominent, their synagogues were strong, their voice was heard and respected. The UOJCA had begun to come into its own as a significant element in communal life. The OU was especially strong in unifying and promoting Kashrut in American Jewry. It made sense, therefore, for Yeshiva to limit itself to and focus upon formal education, and that is why it was decided that Yeshiva’s superb achievement in fostering youth work be transferred to the Orthodox Union, which accepted the challenge and fulfilled its responsibilities with a high degree of success. Yeshiva, which had done so much constructive work in fostering new communities and creating new synagogues, decided to suspend those operations as well; surely, that was a task which belonged to both rabbis and synagogues, not to schools. Of course, at that time Yeshiva’s financial condition had begun to worsen, and this contributed as well to its decision to slim down its operations.However, twenty-five years ago during the transition between two administrations, life had begun change. I noticed that the RCA had grown much weaker: the Rav was ailing, Rabbi Israel Klavan of the RCA was soon passing …
Yeshiva University Jewish Education

Correspondence

Letter to R. Soloveitchik about Opening a Pre-School (1953)

לכבוד מורי ורבי הרה"ג וכו' שליט"א, שליט"א, הנני מעיז להיות בין חומסי עתותיו בשאלת הלכה למעשה. אך זכותי לעשות כן מצאתי בדבריו המלהיבים שדבר אלינו רק אתמול לרגלי חג הסמיכה, באמרו עלינו, תלמידיו ומעריציו, להגיש אליו כל השאלות החמורות ולהביא לפניו את כל דבר קשה. השאלה איננה מן השאלות אשר תשובותיהן נמצאות בש"ע, אלא מסוג הבעיות של public relations, ובכן פתרונה נעלם ממני עוד יותר. מרגע הראשון שראיתי תחת השפעת רומע"כ, למדתי להעריך את המפעל של רנין ישיבות – בתי-ספר כל יומיים – כהדרך העיקרי להרבצת התורה.
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Letter from R. Hirt on Working Committees for Education (2001)

Process: (A) Appoint committee chair. (B) Use of Atid papers (where appropriate). (C) Solicit a working memo or proposal from a qualified person to guide the discussion of each committee. I. Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education & Administration: Azrieli as a leader bridging with other institutions on common agendas, to begin after the new dean is in place with him assuming leadership. II. Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy: Advise Mr. Glaubach and the high school committee of the initiative on your part. Suggested committee members: M. Hecht, Z. Charlop, M. Shmidman, M. Rosensweig, M. Goldwicht, A. Bednarsh, D. Eliach, plus one or two lay people. III. MYP/RIETS Talmud Committee: Advise J. Berman of the initiative. Suggested committee members: Z. Charlop, M. Shmidman, Y. Blau, H. Soloveitchik, M. Rosensweig, M. Willig, M. Goldwicht, J. Wieder, D. Berger, M. Broyde, E. Kanarfogel, D. Shatz, S. Leiman, Mordecai Cohen. Israeli roshei yeshiva and faculty who see our graduates should be involved on some level. Suggestions: A. Lichtenstein, M. Taragin, R. Sabato, D. Sperber, P. Hayman. IV. Recruitment for Avodat HaKodesh: (A) Out-of-town professionals and volunteers for one or two years. (B) Undergraduates who study at YC/SCW. Suggested committee: D. Israel, R. Joel, R. Shloush, W. Altshul, J.J. Schacter, Prof. Steven Cohen (Hebrew University, who did study for Wexner Foundation rabbinic fellows), Josh Elkin or Nava Frank (PEJE), Rhonda (Randy) Weingarten (President UFT; alumna and former adjunct faculty member at Cardozo), Larry Moses (Wexner Foundation), Director of the Steinhardt Fellows Campus Program, Yossi Prager (Avi Chai).
Yeshiva University Jewish Education