2008 Woodie Awards
Campus Beat
Daniel Bukingolts
Issue date: 10/22/07 Section: Features
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Do you feel you have the opportunities needed to establish strong relationships with your rebbeim?
Michael Shapiro YC '09
I feel that YU offers ample opportunity for someone to get close to his Rebbe. It is important to realize that taking initiative is key in forming this special bond and that the rebbe will not come to you, simply because there are too many talmidim. After we accept this, I feel that we can all agree that the three hours of seder in the morning and the time before and after shiur is more than enough time to connect to our rebbeim.
Yossi Cohen YC '08
Considering the fact that my rebbe, Rabbi Baruch Simon shlit'a, puts in tremendous effort to know every student in the shiur by eating lunch with a different student daily, and makes himself available to speak at any time, the answer would have to be absolutely.
Adam Kirshner SSSB '10
I personally, am in Rav Hirsh's shiur, so I see and talk to him everyday. But in general you are capable of building a relationship with a Rabbi. If not with your shuir Rabbi at least with a sgan mashgiach. It seems that there are many open arms to go to. The problem is that some students just do not want it.
Yoni Illouz SSSB '09
No, although you could say that I should be taking some sort of initiative to create a relationship with my rebbeim, I don't seem to feel as if they are interested. This is my third semester in IBC and I feel like I'm just there to learn and when an hour and fifteen minutes is up its over and I'm out the door. The system is set up in such a way, that they are there just to teach and there is nothing beyond that. I'm not expecting the same type of relationship I had with my rebbeim in Israel, but to not have a relationship at all isn't what I was expecting. I don't think that the rebbeim have any intention at all to avoid creating relationships with their talmidim or creating this gap between us. I think its how the system is set up. It's disappointing but then again we're in university so im not sure what I should be expecting.
And Danny says,
Luckily, I know I can have a great connection with my shiur rebbe. There are also opportunities to schmooze with other rebbeim after maariv to listen to the mussar schmoozes delivered by different rebbeim every week. The problem lies with those rebbeim who have other responsibilities outside giving shiur. Can a YU shiur rebbe properly do his job by only giving shiur? It is a very sensitive issue that needs to be properly addressed before more kids become disenfranchised with otherwise great learning programs. Most enter YU after Israel with minimal expectations regarding relationships with rebbeim.
Michael Shapiro YC '09
I feel that YU offers ample opportunity for someone to get close to his Rebbe. It is important to realize that taking initiative is key in forming this special bond and that the rebbe will not come to you, simply because there are too many talmidim. After we accept this, I feel that we can all agree that the three hours of seder in the morning and the time before and after shiur is more than enough time to connect to our rebbeim.
Yossi Cohen YC '08
Considering the fact that my rebbe, Rabbi Baruch Simon shlit'a, puts in tremendous effort to know every student in the shiur by eating lunch with a different student daily, and makes himself available to speak at any time, the answer would have to be absolutely.
Adam Kirshner SSSB '10
I personally, am in Rav Hirsh's shiur, so I see and talk to him everyday. But in general you are capable of building a relationship with a Rabbi. If not with your shuir Rabbi at least with a sgan mashgiach. It seems that there are many open arms to go to. The problem is that some students just do not want it.
Yoni Illouz SSSB '09
No, although you could say that I should be taking some sort of initiative to create a relationship with my rebbeim, I don't seem to feel as if they are interested. This is my third semester in IBC and I feel like I'm just there to learn and when an hour and fifteen minutes is up its over and I'm out the door. The system is set up in such a way, that they are there just to teach and there is nothing beyond that. I'm not expecting the same type of relationship I had with my rebbeim in Israel, but to not have a relationship at all isn't what I was expecting. I don't think that the rebbeim have any intention at all to avoid creating relationships with their talmidim or creating this gap between us. I think its how the system is set up. It's disappointing but then again we're in university so im not sure what I should be expecting.
And Danny says,
Luckily, I know I can have a great connection with my shiur rebbe. There are also opportunities to schmooze with other rebbeim after maariv to listen to the mussar schmoozes delivered by different rebbeim every week. The problem lies with those rebbeim who have other responsibilities outside giving shiur. Can a YU shiur rebbe properly do his job by only giving shiur? It is a very sensitive issue that needs to be properly addressed before more kids become disenfranchised with otherwise great learning programs. Most enter YU after Israel with minimal expectations regarding relationships with rebbeim.