2008 Woodie Awards
Sephardic Programs Flourishing at Yeshiva
Ira Ginsberg
Issue date: 4/18/05 Section: Features
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In 1964, during the tenure of Yeshiva second president, Dr. Samuel Belkin, the university initiated its Sephardic programs. Under the leadership of the late Dr. Solomon Gaon, known to many as "the Haham," and current Vice President for University Affairs and Consultant for the Sephardic Programs, Dr. Herbert Dobrinksy, a movement begin to bring the rich Sephardic heritage to the traditionally Lithuanian oriented Yeshiva.
Yeshiva's efforts were divided into two primary objectives: the Sephardic Community Program run by Dr. Dobrinsky, and what would later become know as Jacob E. Safra Institute of Sephardic Studies, run by Dr. Gaon. Working hand in hand, the program's principle goals were to "educate Sephardic students in their heritage, educate all YU students about the Sephardic heritage, to train rabbis and other professionals for service in the Sephardic community, to provide educational and cultural programs for the Sephardic and general public, and to organize new Sephardic congregations and communities and strengthen existing ones."
Over the past 40 years, the Sephardic programs have expanded. During the 27 years that Dr. Norman Lamm was president of Yeshiva, the programs reached great heights. "We have ordained more than sixty Sephardic rabbis who are serving in communities all around the United States, Canada, and Israel. We have also trained many in Sephardic hazanut, and [have educated many] teachers in the Sephardic Community," said Dr. Dobrinsky.
President Richard M. Joel has also made his interest clear in developing a greater role for Yeshiva in the Sephardic community. Most recently, Rabbi Yamin Levy was hired as the new academic director of the Safra Institute of Sephardic Studies.
Born in Morocco and a Yeshiva graduate himself, Rabbi Levy is familiar with the Yeshiva atmosphere, especially as it pertains to the challenges faced by foreign students. Yeshiva currently has a growing number of foreign students on campus, mostly from Morocco and France, who are overwhelming Sephardic. Rabbi Levy is fluent in many of the languages spoken by Yeshiva's Sephardic student population.
Yeshiva's efforts were divided into two primary objectives: the Sephardic Community Program run by Dr. Dobrinsky, and what would later become know as Jacob E. Safra Institute of Sephardic Studies, run by Dr. Gaon. Working hand in hand, the program's principle goals were to "educate Sephardic students in their heritage, educate all YU students about the Sephardic heritage, to train rabbis and other professionals for service in the Sephardic community, to provide educational and cultural programs for the Sephardic and general public, and to organize new Sephardic congregations and communities and strengthen existing ones."
Over the past 40 years, the Sephardic programs have expanded. During the 27 years that Dr. Norman Lamm was president of Yeshiva, the programs reached great heights. "We have ordained more than sixty Sephardic rabbis who are serving in communities all around the United States, Canada, and Israel. We have also trained many in Sephardic hazanut, and [have educated many] teachers in the Sephardic Community," said Dr. Dobrinsky.
President Richard M. Joel has also made his interest clear in developing a greater role for Yeshiva in the Sephardic community. Most recently, Rabbi Yamin Levy was hired as the new academic director of the Safra Institute of Sephardic Studies.
Born in Morocco and a Yeshiva graduate himself, Rabbi Levy is familiar with the Yeshiva atmosphere, especially as it pertains to the challenges faced by foreign students. Yeshiva currently has a growing number of foreign students on campus, mostly from Morocco and France, who are overwhelming Sephardic. Rabbi Levy is fluent in many of the languages spoken by Yeshiva's Sephardic student population.