NEW YORK: As has been the case for several years now, YU has struggled financially, forcing the administration to find new donors, impose numerous institutional cut-backs, even sell some of its historic buildings. However, as many are aware, few of these options have proven to be the ‘saving grace’ that the institution needs, leaving Yeshiva College and Stern College for Women at especially bleak odds. This controversy and tension has skyrocketed in the past few weeks after a Town Hall meeting in which President Joel (soon to step down from his role as university president) stated his unexpected swan-song decision: “YU will now be accepting Syrian refugees into our undergraduate programs due to the financial strains of our collective university. Few donors and low enrollment have pushed us to arrive at the conclusion that this is our only option.” After the meeting, Joel stated privately to the attending journalists that, “this is the only step we can take to attract government funding.”
As expected, his statement was met with an explosion of opposition — something Joel was clearly prepared to handle. Responding to the crowd, Joel stated confidently, “This transition will undoubtedly be difficult and uncomfortable during its initial stages, but I believe that in the long-term it will enable us to work through these financial hardships. Furthermore, this strength will ignoble our student body to attain a more global understanding of interfaith politics.” Not surprisingly, this did not ease the audience.
Of course the strongest backlash came from the Wilf Campus roshei yeshiva. This community has a reputation of being religious traditionalists frequently shutting down ‘liberal’ university events such as this past year’s breast cancer fundraiser, Cake Wars which, according to an anonymous source was “too feminist.” Perhaps not so surprisingly, the tension expanded past religious leadership when President Joel announced further that “to welcome these new students into our community, we will be converting the Muss Dormitory and MTA building into a mosque.” This historic building on the corner of 187th Street and Amsterdam Avenue in Washington Heights was once the lecture hall of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik Z”L, holding emotional connections for many MTA and YU graduates.
Though voices escalated and students angrily begin stomping out of Yagoda Commons, Joel persisted in his characteristic diplomacy, saying, “Is this not the ultimate hachnasat orchim?” Lending little consolation to the already enraged crowd however, Joel accepted the rebuttal and took his leave, being boo-ed from behind the podium until he exited 215 Lexington and was out of sight.
Taking Joel’s place, Dean Karen Bacon stepped up to address the audience. She announced that, “though this enrollment reform is very much in conflict with the University’s religious traditions, a new University Admissions Policy is sometimes the key to reviving a suffering school.” Using language such as “integration,” “acceptance,” and “Torah U’Madda,” Bacon requested, “that all administrators, students, and professors work together to encourage social and cultural individualism when the refugees arrive.” Speaking about the Beren Campus involvement in this influx of Syrians, Bacon determined that Stern will accommodate the needs of these incoming students in as many ways possible.
The beit midrash in 245 Lexington Avenue will soon have a set schedule for both Jewish and Muslim prayer times, as well as prayer mats for daily use. In addition, the GPATS program (originally a program in Talmud study) will now include Quran study for any Syrian students interested. Spinning this change toward the positive, one of the Political Science professors expanded Bacon’s statements, saying, “[the] benefits of an enriched study in ancient Middle Eastern traditions through interfaith dialogue will add enormous credibility to this post-graduate program.”
Though the controversy continues and President Joel has been isolated to his office for the sake of his own safety, in the coming months the resident halls, school buildings and offices will be redecorated and upgraded for a more “Muslim-friendly” setting. The uptown beit midrash — renowned for its constant use and collections of classic and obscure Jewish literature — will also be converted into a madrasa (a Muslim house of study) as yet another culturally welcoming space for the refugees. In addition, all resident advisors will be required to attend crash courses in Arabic language and Muslim culture, though the roshei yeshiva still vocally resent this new ruling.
All in all, by the Fall of 2016, President Joel expects “YU will be flourishing once more” due to this drastic change in admission policies. However, in protest of this decision, many roshei yeshiva and right wing students have come together to create an in depth curriculum on the Kuzari and Masechet Avodah Zara — both explicitly pro-Jewish texts that denounce the worship of other religions. When confronted with this response, Joel stated, “What can I do?”