Message Outgoing SOY President, Michael Gewirtz

I was asked to write a year in review for SOY, but instead of elaborating on the renovated Beis Medrash, Seforim Sale, Chagigot, Hamevaser, Enayim LaTorah, or numerous shiurim, I have decided to thank those who made this year possible. More importantly, I will address a fundamental problem that is currently facing Yeshiva University.

First and foremost I would like to thank the SOY Executive Board for sacrificing hours of their lives to make sure that the Yeshiva ran smoothly. I would also like to thank the entire staff of the SOY Seforim sale whose tireless effort and dedication helped to produce the most successful Seforim Sale ever. Additionally, the staff that worked on Hamevaser and Enayim LaTorah deserves a huge Yasher Koach for upgrading their publications to a standard that Yeshiva University and SOY can be proud of. Lastly, I would like to thank the Office of the Dean of Students and the Office of Student Services, specifically, Dean Efrem Nulman, Dean David Himber and Mr. Andrew Leibowitz. Without their advice, support and friendship little would have been accomplished this year. Without them there would not have been a Seforim Sale, or Chagigot in the Beis Medrash. Thank you.

Over the past few years I have been perplexed as to why this Yeshiva is called Yeshiva University, and why the mantra of Torah U'madda was chosen as a representation of its goals and philosophies. Perhaps, University of Yeshiva and Madda U'Torah would have been more appropriate.

Why do I say this? What could I have seen to make me believe this?

I remember sitting in an administrator's living room earlier this year and hearing him explain that in order to reach the highest levels of Torah U'madda you need the best Rebbeim and professors. I fully agree with that sentiment. However, the administrators above the teachers, the ones setting the curriculum, fielding the students questions and deciding what is best for the student body, need not only to have an understanding of what Torah U'madda means, but to let Torah U'madda guide their decisions. There is a reason why Yeshiva comes before University, and wisdom in placing Torah before Madda - the two are not equal. Torah will always be more important. However, from what I have seen as a student, experienced as President, and have heard numerous times from my peers, this does not seem to be the case.

I am proud that Yeshiva University is ranked 42nd on U.S. News and World Report's list and hope this position will continue to rise. However, when I impart what makes Yeshiva University special I look to the Rebbeim, Beis Medrash and Seforim Sale. Yeshiva University should be a Yeshiva with an excellent university at its talmidim's fingertips, not a University that makes the Beis Medrash available to its students.

When SOY wishes to run the Seforim Sale, so that thousands of Jews, from every walk of life can build and expand their Judaic libraries, the answer should never be "NO", because giving up the 5th floor is inconvenient, rather, "YES how can we help?"

YU should not have further limited the number of credits that students can take outside of the University. It will only lead to students being forced home after only their Shana Aleph year in Israel, because partially making up for Shana Bet during summer school is no longer an option. Both my learning skills and religious devotion are much stronger because I spent a second year in Israel. Doesn't YU want to afford students the strongest foundation possible?

I think the problem is that while the goal of YU is and should be Torah U'madda, YU has to realize that this goal is only fully obtainable by a small percentage of its students. The ability to substantially gain from both Torah U'madda is achieved by a select few. The majority of the students should be and are striving for Torah Im Derech Eretz, the acquisition of skills to be a successful Torah Jew in a secular society.

Yeshiva University, being a small institution, must help each student reach their individual goals. Yeshiva University should continue to strengthen its Madda, both for the students that are able to strive for Torah U'madda and for the students that are in Yeshiva University to achieve Torah Im Derech Eretz. However, no matter if Torah U'madda or Torah Im Derech Eretz is the goal of the student, the Torah half of the formula must be both understood and accepted as superordinate.