By Hannah Wasserman and Chloe Baker, Senior Opinions Editor
To be a Jew is to be a part of a global community. We are united by our yiddishkeit and the neshamos we all possess. We support each other in times of need and celebrate together in times of joy. Throughout history, whenever someone has been attacked or killed simply because of their Judaism, our entire community has come together to denounce such blatant antisemitism. Yeshiva University has played a pivotal role in this, especially following the events of October 7.
YU has hosted multiple Tehillim circles, memorial events and speakers to honor those who have been murdered or kidnapped since that tragic day. They have also provided mental health support for their students. This is because YU understands that when a Jew is killed or attacked simply for being Jewish, it affects us all.
Therefore, one would assume that when a Chabad Rabbi was kidnapped and subsequently murdered, the flagship Jewish university would be the first one to express their grief. In reality, all that came in the coming days was a chilling silence.
Rabbi Zvi Kogan was a Chabad shliach (emissary) in Abu Dhabi, Dubai. He was a soldier in the IDF’s Givati Brigade, a husband, a partner in peace between Arabs and Jews and the owner of the first Kosher grocery store in Dubai, Rimon Market.
Kogan did not grow up Chabad, but was inspired by and decided to live a life aligned with the teachings of the Rebbe. For him, this also meant moving to a faraway place to spread yiddishkeit to all Jews he encountered, no matter their background. On November 21, he was kidnapped by three Uzbek nationals in an Iranian sponsored terror attack and subsequently murdered. His body was recovered on November 24.
Many may argue that Chabad’s philosophy and outlook on life is vastly different from YU’s Modern Orthodox hashkafa, but there is so much the two have in common. YU is a pioneer institution that enables people to seek higher Jewish education and remain connected to their religion. In the same way, Chabad shlichut allows Jews from all over the world to participate in Jewish life.
It seems like no coincidence that following Rabbi Kogan’s murder, YU did not say a word, considering their lack of Chabad resources on campus and their stance on Chabad. While students often view the Chabad of the Heights – known for hosting Shabbat meals and holiday activities for students – as the unofficial Chabad on campus, the school does not formally recognize it and does not actively promote a Chabad presence on campus. “YU is very committed to their own hashkafa and there are negative side effects to that,” Mendel Solomon (YC ‘25), a board member of Chabad@YU (YC ‘25), told the YU Observer. “Students of Chabad background do feel alienated on campus sometimes.”
While the demographics of YU mainly consist of Modern Orthodox students, there are students here who do not fit that mold. “Students who do not align with the hashkafa of YU but are not Chabad sometimes slip through the cracks,” Solomon added. “Typically Chabad would be there to help collect those guys and put them on the right path, but YU’s reluctance to have Chabad on campus has made that more difficult.” Additionally, the Chabad at YU receives pushback and lack of cooperation from campus administration.
There was no reference to Rabbi Kogan’s murder in YU President Ari Berman’s weekly emails, no statement put out by the university, no Tehillim circle that took place, no fundraiser links sent to the school and no encouragement to dedicate one’s learning the following Monday in his memory. Many of these things have been done previously to honor the hostages or soldiers who have fallen as a result of this war. While there was discourse from students and many social media posts on students personal accounts, the institution itself remained quiet. The only mention of his murder came over a week later in a short weekly email sent out by an administrator that mainly addressed other topics as well, an email that many students could have easily glossed over.
The silence from the YU community is ironic considering the amount of similarities between Chabad and YU. YU prides itself on making Jewish education accessible to Jewish students from a variety of backgrounds. They ensure everyone has a place to practice their Judaism safely, especially in today’s world of persecution and uncertainty. Last year, due to the rise of antisemitism at secular college campuses, YU allowed many students and teachers to transfer to the university, so they could practice their own religious freedoms, no matter their personal religious background and observances.
These values are blatantly similar to Chabad’s. In the words of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, “The Nazi’s hunted down Jews in hate. The Rebbe taught us to search for and seek out every single Jew in love.” Chabad sends shluchim to all corners of the globe to do just this. Chabad was founded in 1775. The original philosophy of the organization holds true today. “Chokhmah, Binah, Da’at,” wisdom, understanding, knowledge. These core main values are seen on a daily basis at YU: to educate, empower and inspire students who will be the future leaders of the next generation. YU’s goal is to use the tools the university has to offer to give the students a “purpose and drive to make the world a better place.” The similarities between both of these valuable institutions are striking.
Ultimately, the university’s lack of response to Rabbi Kogan’s brutal murder serves as a wake up call and a reminder that we all clearly need. A difference in hashkafa, ideology or minhagim are not excuses to not stand up for your fellow Jew. Just because Rabbi Kogan’s murder was not directly “associated” with Oct. 7, or the continuous war on Israel that some feel YU constantly uses to their PR advantage, doesn’t mean we can afford to stay silent.
In fact, Rabbi Kogan’s murder was completely related to the Oct. 7 war, in that this war is a global war against Jews. From Hamas’s initial attack on Oct. 7, to the protesting on university campuses, to Jewish students being assaulted and alienated, to Jews being beaten up in the streets, the Amsterdam modern day pogrom, and now the murder of Rabbi Zvi Kogan. It’s all connected, and Jews worldwide, no matter their hashkafa or level of observance, are all targets.
YU must do a better job at supporting its students, Chabad or not, who hold different hashkafot than the university. It shouldn’t have taken a Rabbi’s tragic murder, and a flagship institution’s lack of response, to create this conversation. The university should have looked past their own agenda and said something. YU must recognize the good that Chabad on campus does, and how much more they could do if the university were to break down their rigid barriers and embrace a type of Judaism that although is different from the values of the institution, is not any less.
Photo Caption: A poster of Rabbi Zvi Kogan
Photo Credit: Emily Goldberg / the YU Observer