Volume 67, Issue 8

Students Evacuate Wilf Campus in Search of Spirituality, Warm Weather

Vacation Hot Spots Include Israel and Florida

by Yoel Preminger

With the completion of the fall semester, Yeshiva students evacuated the Wilf Campus in search of rest and relaxation.  Some traveled to Florida to beat the snow and cold weather of New York, while others chose the more spiritual path to Israel.  Still other students chose to take advantage of the snowy weather and went skiing, while many out-of-towners returned to the comfort of their homes.

Whatever their destination, most students had just one gripe: vacation’s not long enough.  “We work really hard all semester and we needed this vacation, but I just wish it was [sic] longer,” said Sy Syms School of Business junior Joe Greene.

Many Yeshiva and Stern College for Women students chose to travel to the warmer climate of Florida.  “It was like a YU-Stern convention down in Florida, with YU students playing ball and having fun together,” said Yeshiva College junior Shlomo Weg.  Most students relaxed at the beach, hung out with friends, and played football or volleyball.  Others chose to party and enjoy the exciting nightlife Florida has to offer.

“The weather in Florida was beautiful and makes me wish I were there and not back in school,” said YC junior Eric Stern.  Most students chose to take advantage of the two week vacation and stayed as long as possible in Florida, returning only the day before classes restarted.

An increasing number of students chose to travel the six thousand miles to Israel.  While some went to visit their old yeshivas, some preferred to tour the land.  “It was a great experience to return to Israel and learn for two weeks at Yeshivat Hakotel and be able to see my Rabbeim.  It was unbelievable to see the increased level of security throughout Israel, especially at the Kotel,” said YC junior Jonathan Bodner.

Some students chose to get involved during their stay by participating in a one-day mission, organized primarily by SCW students, Rebecca Wimmer and Kayla Wruble, the co-presidents of the Israel club at the Midtown Campus.

It was estimated that approximately 50 people – about forty women and seven men – volunteered at Livnot Ulehivanot making food and winter clothing packages for soldiers on the front lines, and then continued their work at Yad Eliyahu, packaging food staples for poor families.  The group then traveled to Har Hertzl, where they said Tehillim at a newly-dug section of the cemetery for victims of piguim (bombings) in Israel, following which the students returned to Jerusalem for a shiur given by Rav Yehoshua Paltiel, the Av Bayit and Ram at Yeshiva Mevaseret Tzion.  Capping the day was a dinner and lecture given by the Welsh political scientist Neil Lazarus, who spoke on the Middle East situation.

“We tried to make every effort to have a full scale mission, but the funding was not there,” explained Yeshiva Student Union Vice President Yaakov Green.  “However, at the end of the day it was a success felt by both leaders and participants.  It turned out to truly be a great day.  My only regret was that more students could have been involved, considering how vital our contributions were and how acts such as these contribute to a sense of a greater Yeshiva University community.  It made me proud to be a student of Yeshiva University and I wish more people would feel that more often on both campuses.”

Some students chose a different path for winter break. Sy Syms junior Isaac Winkler and Yitz Glass, for instance, visited Europe.  “I have been to Florida for vacation and I wanted to travel to a place I have never before,” said Winkler, “so I chose to go to England for my break.  It was an amazing trip, but I definitely missed the nice weather.” Added a YC junior who traveled to Las Vegas, “Everyone goes to Florida. I wanted to go to a place with real partying, real gambling, and few Jews.”

However, many students preferred staying close to home, and indeed for many that was a vacation unto itself.  “I pretty much did nothing, just relaxed, and went shopping,” said Sy Syms junior Joe Rahmani.

“Going home makes me realize how nice Los Angeles weather is,” said Sy Syms junior Michael Novack a Los Angeles native.

Many out-of-towners went home briefly before continuing on to their final vacation destination.  “I traveled all the way to LA to be home for a few days and then traveled all the way to Israel to be able to be in Yeshiva,” said YC junior Yakov Agatstein.

Every Yeshiva student had a different meaning of a vacation.  Some chose to relax on the beach or at home, while others chose the more active role of skiing or playing sports.  However, other students chose to travel home after being away at school for a few months.  Many students chose to recharge their neshama and travel to Israel to be truly home.  Wherever Yeshiva students chose to travel, they all grudgingly realized that vacation is too short and a new semester of hard work and studying lay ahead.♦

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