Derech Etz Chaim Severed from YU Israel Program
by Yehoshua Levine

Yeshiva officials recently terminated Yeshivat Derech Etz Chaim’s affiliation with the S. Daniel Abraham Joint Israel Program after discovering “compelling evidence” that a rabbi integrally associated with the yeshiva has a history of allegedly sexually abusing and engaging in cult-like behavior with his students. The decision, which took effect on February 13 and was made public in a letter sent to parents of current Derech Etz Chaim (DEC) students, followed an intensive international investigation in which the University concluded that maintaining its association with DEC would be “betraying the trust between Yeshiva University and its students.”    

Rabbi Willig Apology Stirs Campus
by Avi Robinson

An overflow crowd gathered in the Harry Fischel Beis Midrash on February 19 to hear RIETS Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Mordechai Willig deliver an extraordinary sichas mussar, in which he apologized publicly for his role in the 1989 beis din concerning Rabbi Baruch Lanner. Precipitated in part by pressure from the local Jewish media, the speech calmed the political tension that had been steadily mounting on campus due to the ongoing controversy. Rabbi Willig opened with a joint statement on behalf of himself, Mashgiach Ruchani Rabbi Yosef Blau, and Professor of Economics Rabbi Dr. Aaron Levine, the three rabbis who adjudicated the 1989 case.

Student Life Enhancement Committee Takes Off
by Ari Fridman

As part of his effort to further involve the students in University-wide decision-making processes, Chairman of Yeshiva’s Board of Trustees Ronald P. Stanton convened the first-ever Student Life Enhancement Committee, which brought together students, administrators and Board members in an unprecedented gathering.  The two-part, four-hour meeting, which was held on February 11 in Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Morton Lowengrub’s suite, covered a wide array of issues, including campus life, academic advisement, and many of Yeshiva’s departments.