A Commentator/Observer Presidential Special Joint Issue

Constructing a Vision: Joel’s Building Blocks
by Yehoshua Levine and Zack Streit

Yeshiva has changed immeasurably over the past 26 years. Under Rabbi Lamm’s leadership, we have grown into a top-tier university with two flourishing undergraduate schools, six well-respected graduate programs, and a rabbinical school that serves the greater Jewish community. Yeshiva has clearly turned into a ‘city upon the hill’ for international Modern Orthodoxy.

Our newly-elected President has a tough act to follow.  Armed with a history of administrative and fundraising acumen, as well as years of experience working with college students, primarily by nurturing their religious growth, President Joel certainly seems equipped to continue Rabbi Lamm’s legacy.

As part of the process aimed at familiarizing Mr. Joel with Yeshiva’s many constituents, seven student leaders met with Joel for over two hours last Tuesday to discuss his goals for the University, focusing particularly on those relating to the student body. What follows is a list of selected sound-bites of President Joel responding to some of the larger issues affecting Yeshiva and its students:

The job requirements of the Yeshiva University President:  “The President must be a Torah-observant Jew, a learning Jew, familiar with Torah U’Madda, who’s aware that the goal is L’Hagdil Torah U’l’Hadira. But the President does not have to be a Rosh HaYeshiva.”

His role as YU President:  “I will not be the leader of Modern Orthodoxy….My role is to educate the future leaders of Modern Orthodoxy.”

 “What drives me is the opportunity to interact with students.  Don’t let me isolate myself in the Presidential Suite.  I hope to see my Shabbos table full of students.”

“I cannot be responsible for running every facet of the university; I can only be a catalyst toward making goals a reality.”

Relationship with Roshei Yeshiva:

“I will have a voice in the development of the total university, but I want to learn from the Roshei Yeshiva.  Though I do believe that we are all equal I will defer to them.”

“I’m not a Torah scholar, but when something to do with Torah I’m not going to put my head in the sand.”

The road to success:  “To be a thriving university, we need to have scholars in all areas.” 

Pluralism:  “It’s critical to build a community spirit based on a Torah community.  But there are multiple ideas within that common framework….It is imperative, though, that we look at life through the prism of Torah.”

“We’ll agree to fight about a lot of things.”

Kippahs: “We should strive to make kippah-wearing part of students’ consciousness and not a mandatory policy.  We would have to ask ourselves for what purpose and to what end we would want to pass a mandatory policy.  I would rather create an environment where each student wants to wear a kippah and where each student counts.”   

Academics:  “We need to make this a place of even greater academic excellence, which means, among other things, fewer adjunct faculty and a greater focus on research.”

“There are a lot of serious people who don’t know where to go to school; I’d like to help them find a home at Yeshiva.  However, we should also turn students down if they lack sufficient rigor in learning or academics.”  

“I’d like to see more graduate school faculty involved with the undergraduates, and I’d also like our academic faculty to fly to Israel and interact with our students in the Israel Program.”

Academic Integrity:  “Cheating is unacceptable and cheaters will be subject to expulsion.  We’re better than that.  Change must come from the Beis Medresh, the President’s Suite and the classroom.  The entire atmosphere must change so that cheaters will no longer feel welcome at YU.”   

Graduate Schools: “We have to figure out how the graduate schools honor our commitment to Torah U’Madda.  The graduate schools currently feel vestigial to YU, and I believe we can work not only to draw them in but to also augment their excellence.”

The Community at Large:  “We have to be worthy to serve as a role model to all humanity.  YU is a very, very important element in shaping the Jewish people and helping students confront their destiny.”

“We have to supercharge MSDCS to make sure that it plays an even more prolific role in the larger Jewish Community.”

Finances:  “We have to look at vision questions and academic questions before fiscal realities.  But more and more funding will become available.”

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