2008 Woodie Awards
When Will Yeshiva's Deans get Serious about Zionism?
Dovid Wildman
Issue date: 2/15/05 Section: Opinion
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It's time to get serious about a Zionist curriculum at Yeshiva College. President Joel has deemed Israel a mainstay of this university, and the dearth of Israel-oriented courses at "the world's premier Jewish institution of higher learning," as President Joel termed Yeshiva two years ago to the Associated Press, is embarrassing at best.
Truth be told, President Joel is not exactly to blame for the inadequate course offerings. The onus falls on the Yeshiva College Deans, Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Morton Lowengrub, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Sheldon Gelman, the Yeshiva College Curriculum Committee, and, yes, the students themselves.
First, let's look at the facts. If you are an undergraduate student at Yeshiva, you have never been able to take a course in Zionism until this semester. For Spring 2005, fortunately, students got their first opportunity to dig into Zionism and explore the philosophy that created and sustains the modern State of Israel. However, don't expect this course to fulfill any general requirements. Though Israel is central to our university, and the topic is especially relevant to our lives, Rabbi Carmy's "Topics in Zionism" won't count towards your Jewish history requirement. It surpasses irony when Yeshiva urges its students to learn more about Ezra and Nechemya, the Ptolemies and the Selucids than about Rav Kook, Theodor Herzl, Leon Pinsker, and Zeev Jabotinsky. Don't get me wrong - I think classical Jewish history is crucial to a well-rounded Jewish education. The problem is that while students can choose between classical, medieval, and modern Jewish history courses, Zionism isn't even on the list of options.
To be sure, Yeshiva's Course Catalog lists "History of Zionism" and "Modern Israel" as classes students can take at Yeshiva college. But these entries mean little if never offered in reality. Yeshiva needs to start offering these courses - and consistently - or they should stop the disingenuousness and delete those entries from the catalog. Furthermore, while I've heard the claim of student disinterest from several in Yeshiva's administration and faculty, this argument is meaningless until courses that fulfill requirements are offered. Students have precious few credits to spare, and a student opting for "Medieval Jewish History" over "Topics in Zionism" cannot be presented as voting in a referendum. Rabbi Carmy's course is a refreshing indication of Yeshiva's intentions, but it falls short of what's necessary.
Truth be told, President Joel is not exactly to blame for the inadequate course offerings. The onus falls on the Yeshiva College Deans, Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Morton Lowengrub, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Sheldon Gelman, the Yeshiva College Curriculum Committee, and, yes, the students themselves.
First, let's look at the facts. If you are an undergraduate student at Yeshiva, you have never been able to take a course in Zionism until this semester. For Spring 2005, fortunately, students got their first opportunity to dig into Zionism and explore the philosophy that created and sustains the modern State of Israel. However, don't expect this course to fulfill any general requirements. Though Israel is central to our university, and the topic is especially relevant to our lives, Rabbi Carmy's "Topics in Zionism" won't count towards your Jewish history requirement. It surpasses irony when Yeshiva urges its students to learn more about Ezra and Nechemya, the Ptolemies and the Selucids than about Rav Kook, Theodor Herzl, Leon Pinsker, and Zeev Jabotinsky. Don't get me wrong - I think classical Jewish history is crucial to a well-rounded Jewish education. The problem is that while students can choose between classical, medieval, and modern Jewish history courses, Zionism isn't even on the list of options.
To be sure, Yeshiva's Course Catalog lists "History of Zionism" and "Modern Israel" as classes students can take at Yeshiva college. But these entries mean little if never offered in reality. Yeshiva needs to start offering these courses - and consistently - or they should stop the disingenuousness and delete those entries from the catalog. Furthermore, while I've heard the claim of student disinterest from several in Yeshiva's administration and faculty, this argument is meaningless until courses that fulfill requirements are offered. Students have precious few credits to spare, and a student opting for "Medieval Jewish History" over "Topics in Zionism" cannot be presented as voting in a referendum. Rabbi Carmy's course is a refreshing indication of Yeshiva's intentions, but it falls short of what's necessary.