It takes no more than a glance at your sstud-filled inbox to discover the wealth of Torah related events and activities on the Beren Campus. Supporting many, if not all of these projects is the Torah Activities Council (TAC), whose presidium and associated clubs work tirelessly to give our student body an enriched Torah learning experience. This year, Yehudit Goldberg, one of the TAC vice presidents, along with TAC president Margot Reinstein, has been spearheading efforts to increase the presence of Yeshiva University’s Roshei Yeshiva on the Beren Campus.
“It began as a result of spending time in the Stern Beit Midrash,” said Yehudit. “For much of the day, there usually aren’t adult Torah figures or role models present for students to approach with questions or thoughts on what the students are learning. Having been in Batei Midrash where exposure to Torah giants was a reality, I felt there was a void in the culture of ours. I thought, ‘If there were more iconic religious role models filling our Beit Midrash, individuals who many of the students could look up to and connect with, our Beit Midrash would gain a greater sense of community and inspiration.’”
“Part of what attracted me to Stern was the knowledge that there are these unbelievable Roshei Yeshiva at YU,” she continued. “I thought that I would see them on a fairly regular basis. I was very surprised, therefore, to find that not only are the Roshei Yeshiva rarely on our campus, but many of the students (including myself) have gone through most or all of their college careers without ever seeing or meeting a Rosh Yeshiva.”
Yehudit began the project last year, while head of the Torah Scholarship Lecture Series (TSLS), a club under the auspices of TAC. Her goal was to have a Rosh Yeshiva give a shiur on campus every other week.
“It was hard to get the ball rolling,” she admitted, “but I am thrilled to say that progress has been made. This year, in my capacity as a vice president of TAC, I am also the liaison for TSLS. As such, I continue to invest effort towards making the Roshei Yeshiva a part of the general tapestry of the Stern College experience.”
“We’ve implemented the initiative during both TSLS and club hours to accommodate as many students as possible,” explained Margot Reinstein, adding, “Many students know about T-Cubed, where a big speaker gives a shiur to a jam-packed room every Tuesday night. This year, we have begun alternating weeks between TCubed and TSLS so that there is a Rosh Yeshiva at the Beren Campus every other Tuesday night. Additionally, we are taking advantage of club hour. R’ Hershel Schachter kicked off the first initiative during club hour last week with a wonderful shiur that attracted many students.”
“We’re not alone in our efforts – the Roshei Yeshiva are very cooperative and interested in this enterprise as well,” said Yehudit. “We are also blessed with different members of faculty, administration, and students on the uptown campus who are supportive and helpful with this effort. The challenge has been getting a system in place that provides the frequency and continuity that we are looking for.”
It may be an organizational challenge, but judging by the positive feedback from the student body, their efforts are definitively worthwhile.
“Students feel like they get the best of both worlds,” said Margot, because “we sit in classes with the incredible educators of the Stern Judaic Studies Department and also have opportunities to learn from the Roshei Yeshiva of the Wilf Campus.”
“When the Roshei Yeshiva have come, there have been over fifty students in attendance each time, and it is always met with a lot of positive feedback and appreciation,” concluded Yehudit. “I hope that this relationship between the Roshei Yeshiva and the Stern student body only continues to grow.”