By Emily Goldberg, Publication Manager and Layout Editor
I am only here today because of those who came before me. Who believed in me even when I had no faith in myself. Finding the strength and courage to fulfill my passions has not been an easy endeavor. I often find myself deep in the depths of doubt, wondering if I will ever be able to accomplish all that I have set out to do. After long hard nights spent lingering in uncertainty, many times I have wondered if I am even capable. Wishing I could turn my dreams into a reality, only wondering how to even begin.
Yet, I am only here right now because of the leaders in my life who gave everything they have towards teaching me, so that I could find the strength to build a better tomorrow just as they did. I would not be who I am today without the guidance of Aaron (Yitzy) and Ruchama (Ru), who have spent the past three years dedicating so much of themselves towards this paper, and the past two towards helping me grow. Words cannot describe how the influence of these two leaders has changed the YU community for the better, impacting me forever.
Being part of a community such as the YU Observer is the most special opportunity precisely because it is our mission to uplift the voices of others: the pursuit of that goal our leading principle. Looking towards the future, I hope that we can continue to uphold this value for years to come, serving as a home for the voice of the students: those who seek to speak up and change the world.
Yet, looking back, it is important to acknowledge that we are only a part of this moment in history, we are only able to use our voices because of the leaders of our past, who gave everything they had to cultivate a space for us to speak out.
The very first Editors-in-Chief of the YU Observer were Evelyn Weiss, Vera Lobl, and Sheila Siegal. I have no idea who they are, yet I know exactly what it is they sought out to do; they saw a deficit in this world, a lack of a space for women to share their voices, and did something about it. Their legacy has lived on for 66 years, the space they have created in this world a gift for many YU students with a yearning to share their voices just as those who came before them did. These three women have given us the ultimate gift, a place to call our home, where people of all different backgrounds can speak up, not only without fear, but with confidence in the fact that they are pushing forth the legacy of those who came before them.
Seeking to create positive change in the world means first appreciating the gifts that such figures of our past have given us. None of them made the impact that they did by sitting back or being silent. Yet, this is only the beginning, and there is much more work to be done.
Learning from history is extremely important; continuing to write our own history is even more important.
“Founded by the women of Yeshiva University’s Stern College in 1958” means being a part of a long line of individuals who have dedicated every waking moment towards chasing just that. I implore you to join me in pursuing their journey, continuing to write the stories they began. Use your voice to seek the change you wish in the world just like those who came before you. With enough persistence, you can turn your dreams into a reality. All it takes is the right perspective: the passion to create something special for those who will come after you.
And maybe in 100 years we will all just be names on a piece of paper, our stories lost in time and space. In the future, people may look back and think: who were they? Or maybe they will never even know about our existence at all. And that’s okay. What really matters is when you look back in 100 years, will you be able to confidently say you did everything you could with your time on this earth to create positive change?
You don’t have to be the most well known figure in history to change the world. You can be just like me, someone sitting behind their computer screen, begging the letters on their keyboard to help them do just that.
Only hoping, like those who came before you, that you will end up pressing the right buttons.