2008 Woodie Awards
Samuel Belkin's Application to RIETS
Seth Farber
Issue date: 5/16/05 Section: YUdaica
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There is little documentary evidence of the early years of Rabbi Dr. Samuel Belkin, rosh hayeshiva and second president of Yeshiva College (which, in 1945, turned into Yeshiva University). Both the source-based histories (such as those of Gilbert Klaperman, Jeffrey S. Gurock and Aaron Rakeffet-Rothkoff) and the more popular histories (such as that of Victor Geller), sparingly outline the factors that may have brought the young Talmudic scholar from Poland to the leadership of American Orthodoxy's flagship institution. Geller's book, the most recent attempt to capture the dynamics of Samuel Belkin's rise at Yeshiva, notes that Belkin was naïve about Western culture in his early years as an immigrant, even as he sought to embrace that culture.
Below I have reproduced an introduction letter from R. Samuel Belkin to Rabbi Dr. Bernard Revel, rosh hayeshiva and second president of Yeshiva College. The letter was discovered among the Norman Abrams papers in the Yeshiva University Archives (I thank Ms. Shulamith Z. Berger, Yeshiva's archivist, for her part in finding the letter and allowing in its reprinting here). The letter is essentially an application for admission to Yeshiva. Though the letter is undated, it must have been written in late 1929, as Belkin places himself in Ford City, Ontario, at the home of his cousin. From other sources we know that having arriving in the United States in 1928, he was sent to Canada to his closest relative. R. Samuel Belkin also mentions in the letter that he is presently 18 years of age.
The letter addresses Dr. Revel as the rosh yeshiva of RIETS and identifies him as a man of great repute. Belkin begins by suggesting that his own reputation will ultimately be known in America, and thus, he prefers that Dr. Revel hear of it directly. The exact reason that R. Samuel Belkin was certain that his story was of significance is unclear from the letter. He continues outlining, in his own words, his early life, at least as it relates to his request to Dr. Revel. He notes that he was born in Poland and educated in the more famous large yeshivas (this phrase is suggestive) such as Radin and, for a short time, in Mir.
Having highlighted his education, Belkin comes to the central point of his letter. On one hand, he expresses serious interest in secular studies. However, he articulates his concern that studying in college will result in his casting off all [the Talmud] that he has studied. He suggests that he has consulted many people who all suggested that he turn to Dr. Revel for an invitation to the Yeshiva. Belkin makes clear that critical to his interest in the Yeshiva is the paperwork related to such an invitation, since this would allow him to immigrate to America.
The second half of the letter provides insight into R. Samuel Belkin's culture particularly vis a vis the European yeshiva community. Belkin suggests that Dr. Revel evaluate his credentials by validating them among European gedolim and offers to send him his chiddushei torah. In the continuation, he lists a series of men who could provide recommendations for his application. In many respects, despite seeking to study secular studies, R. Samuel Belkin was firmly rooted in the normative Yeshiva community as the individuals he uses as references include R. Hayyim Ozer Grodzenski, R. Eliezer Yehuda Finkel, (son of R. Nathan Tzvi Finkel, the famed Alter of Slabodka), and son-in-law of the rosh yeshiva of Mir. R. Samuel Belkin also testifies to the fact that he was well known by the director of the Radin Yeshiva, and that he was known by an epithet: Shmuel Shishlvitcher.
Geller argues that a 1929 meeting between Samuel Belkin and Bernard Revel in New York set the stage for Belkin's ultimate acceptance to the Yeshiva. He surmises that Dr. Revel may have heard of Belkin from R. Shimon Shkop, who was then on the faculty of Yeshiva. But, as the letter below demonstrates, Dr. Revel's first encounter with Belkin was initiated by the latter, whose personal situation and desire to move from Canada to New York precipitated the letter of introduction. The letter suggests that it was sent with a set of ordination letters (semikhot) from European rabbis. It ought to be remembered that collecting ordinations in anticipation of coming to America was normative in this period and rabbis wrote semikhot liberally in order to help their students find positions overseas.
Belkin was clearly aware of the goings on at Yeshiva as he closes the letter by noting to Dr. Revel that R. Shmuel Greineman (who was visiting New York at the time) could also serve as a reference regarding R. Samuel Belkin's credentials.
The ultimate significance of this letter is in the perspective it provides on the ambitions and interests of the eighteen year old R. Samuel Belkin and the role RIETS and Yeshiva College could play in his life. This letter records important (and heretofore unknown) data about Belkin's resume and highlights the cultural milieu in which he saw himself. Not unlike many Yeshiva students of today, Belkin saw the Yeshiva as a place where his interest in the Western world could be cultivated, while not threatening or imperiling his dedication to Torah study. He felt that the nurturing environment of Yeshiva would provide an opportunity to grow religiously and allow him entry into American society.
We do not know of Dr. Revel's response to this letter. What we do know is that R. Samuel Belkin ultimately came to New York, but not directly to Yeshiva, first attending Torah Vodaath and after a long wait, studying at Yeshiva and then at Brown.
Translation of the letter:
The honored Gaon, noted Dr. Revel shlita, rosh of Yeshivat Rabbi Isaac Elchanan in New York:
I have come to make myself known in a place where I am not known. Our sages taught us a general and important rule that people don't lie regarding issues that will ultimately be revealed. Thus, I find it my duty to state my request in the form of a letter. I was born in Poland and I was educated in the great and famous yeshivas like Radin and for a short time in Mir. I am eighteen years old, and I have ordination from rabbis in Poland. I now find myself in Canada at my sisters in Ford City. I am interested in studying secular knowledge, but I don't want to cast off all that I have toiled for until now. Thus, many people suggested that I approach you [to determine] if you have the ability to send me the paperwork to accept me as a student of the yeshiva.
If you wish to know about my abilities, I can send you chiddushei torah and you can also inquire about me with the gaonim of Poland like the gaon Rabbi Chaim Ozer [Grodzenski] and also with the director of the Yeshiva of the Chafetz Chaim, there I learned in chavruta with Rabbi Baruch, the son in law of the gaon Rabbi Naftali of blessed memory. [I also studied with] Rabbi Eliezer Yehuda from Yeshivat Mir and many times I spoke with him in Divrei Torah. My name in the yeshivot was Shmuel Shishlvitcher.
It is possible that there are among the rabbis who came from Poland who know of me. I am sending with this letter a number of ordinations and if you wish, I can write you chiddushei Torah and any sugya that you choose in nezikin. I think it obvious that you will answer my letter and return to me the ordinations to the address that I have written on the letter. I ask you once again to respond to me immediately both to this letter and to the request.
Waiting for an answer,
Shmuel Belkin
[p.s.] I that that Rabbi Shmuel Greineman knows of me and you can inquire with him, as he is in New York.
Rabbi Dr. Seth Farber, RIETS '91, BRGS '95, is the founder of ITIM: The Jewish Life Information Center and author of "An American Orthodox Dreamer: Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik and Boston's Maimonides School" (Brandeis, 2003).
Below I have reproduced an introduction letter from R. Samuel Belkin to Rabbi Dr. Bernard Revel, rosh hayeshiva and second president of Yeshiva College. The letter was discovered among the Norman Abrams papers in the Yeshiva University Archives (I thank Ms. Shulamith Z. Berger, Yeshiva's archivist, for her part in finding the letter and allowing in its reprinting here). The letter is essentially an application for admission to Yeshiva. Though the letter is undated, it must have been written in late 1929, as Belkin places himself in Ford City, Ontario, at the home of his cousin. From other sources we know that having arriving in the United States in 1928, he was sent to Canada to his closest relative. R. Samuel Belkin also mentions in the letter that he is presently 18 years of age.
The letter addresses Dr. Revel as the rosh yeshiva of RIETS and identifies him as a man of great repute. Belkin begins by suggesting that his own reputation will ultimately be known in America, and thus, he prefers that Dr. Revel hear of it directly. The exact reason that R. Samuel Belkin was certain that his story was of significance is unclear from the letter. He continues outlining, in his own words, his early life, at least as it relates to his request to Dr. Revel. He notes that he was born in Poland and educated in the more famous large yeshivas (this phrase is suggestive) such as Radin and, for a short time, in Mir.
Having highlighted his education, Belkin comes to the central point of his letter. On one hand, he expresses serious interest in secular studies. However, he articulates his concern that studying in college will result in his casting off all [the Talmud] that he has studied. He suggests that he has consulted many people who all suggested that he turn to Dr. Revel for an invitation to the Yeshiva. Belkin makes clear that critical to his interest in the Yeshiva is the paperwork related to such an invitation, since this would allow him to immigrate to America.
The second half of the letter provides insight into R. Samuel Belkin's culture particularly vis a vis the European yeshiva community. Belkin suggests that Dr. Revel evaluate his credentials by validating them among European gedolim and offers to send him his chiddushei torah. In the continuation, he lists a series of men who could provide recommendations for his application. In many respects, despite seeking to study secular studies, R. Samuel Belkin was firmly rooted in the normative Yeshiva community as the individuals he uses as references include R. Hayyim Ozer Grodzenski, R. Eliezer Yehuda Finkel, (son of R. Nathan Tzvi Finkel, the famed Alter of Slabodka), and son-in-law of the rosh yeshiva of Mir. R. Samuel Belkin also testifies to the fact that he was well known by the director of the Radin Yeshiva, and that he was known by an epithet: Shmuel Shishlvitcher.
Geller argues that a 1929 meeting between Samuel Belkin and Bernard Revel in New York set the stage for Belkin's ultimate acceptance to the Yeshiva. He surmises that Dr. Revel may have heard of Belkin from R. Shimon Shkop, who was then on the faculty of Yeshiva. But, as the letter below demonstrates, Dr. Revel's first encounter with Belkin was initiated by the latter, whose personal situation and desire to move from Canada to New York precipitated the letter of introduction. The letter suggests that it was sent with a set of ordination letters (semikhot) from European rabbis. It ought to be remembered that collecting ordinations in anticipation of coming to America was normative in this period and rabbis wrote semikhot liberally in order to help their students find positions overseas.
Belkin was clearly aware of the goings on at Yeshiva as he closes the letter by noting to Dr. Revel that R. Shmuel Greineman (who was visiting New York at the time) could also serve as a reference regarding R. Samuel Belkin's credentials.
The ultimate significance of this letter is in the perspective it provides on the ambitions and interests of the eighteen year old R. Samuel Belkin and the role RIETS and Yeshiva College could play in his life. This letter records important (and heretofore unknown) data about Belkin's resume and highlights the cultural milieu in which he saw himself. Not unlike many Yeshiva students of today, Belkin saw the Yeshiva as a place where his interest in the Western world could be cultivated, while not threatening or imperiling his dedication to Torah study. He felt that the nurturing environment of Yeshiva would provide an opportunity to grow religiously and allow him entry into American society.
We do not know of Dr. Revel's response to this letter. What we do know is that R. Samuel Belkin ultimately came to New York, but not directly to Yeshiva, first attending Torah Vodaath and after a long wait, studying at Yeshiva and then at Brown.
Translation of the letter:
The honored Gaon, noted Dr. Revel shlita, rosh of Yeshivat Rabbi Isaac Elchanan in New York:
I have come to make myself known in a place where I am not known. Our sages taught us a general and important rule that people don't lie regarding issues that will ultimately be revealed. Thus, I find it my duty to state my request in the form of a letter. I was born in Poland and I was educated in the great and famous yeshivas like Radin and for a short time in Mir. I am eighteen years old, and I have ordination from rabbis in Poland. I now find myself in Canada at my sisters in Ford City. I am interested in studying secular knowledge, but I don't want to cast off all that I have toiled for until now. Thus, many people suggested that I approach you [to determine] if you have the ability to send me the paperwork to accept me as a student of the yeshiva.
If you wish to know about my abilities, I can send you chiddushei torah and you can also inquire about me with the gaonim of Poland like the gaon Rabbi Chaim Ozer [Grodzenski] and also with the director of the Yeshiva of the Chafetz Chaim, there I learned in chavruta with Rabbi Baruch, the son in law of the gaon Rabbi Naftali of blessed memory. [I also studied with] Rabbi Eliezer Yehuda from Yeshivat Mir and many times I spoke with him in Divrei Torah. My name in the yeshivot was Shmuel Shishlvitcher.
It is possible that there are among the rabbis who came from Poland who know of me. I am sending with this letter a number of ordinations and if you wish, I can write you chiddushei Torah and any sugya that you choose in nezikin. I think it obvious that you will answer my letter and return to me the ordinations to the address that I have written on the letter. I ask you once again to respond to me immediately both to this letter and to the request.
Waiting for an answer,
Shmuel Belkin
[p.s.] I that that Rabbi Shmuel Greineman knows of me and you can inquire with him, as he is in New York.
Rabbi Dr. Seth Farber, RIETS '91, BRGS '95, is the founder of ITIM: The Jewish Life Information Center and author of "An American Orthodox Dreamer: Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik and Boston's Maimonides School" (Brandeis, 2003).