2008 Woodie Awards
Oh, What A YUnite!
Issue date: 11/19/07 Section: Editorials
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Very often, students know President Richard M. Joel from his clever speeches throughout the year. They recognize Vice President for University Life Hillel Davis's name as one frequently quoted in The Commentator. University Dean of Students Vic Schwartz is the guy associated with those annoying bimonthly newsletters via y-studs. Hopefully, last week's YUnite Shabbaton gave students an opportunity to interact more personally with these administrators and more importantly, gave these administrators a chance to learn more about their student constituency
Stocked with the largest number of roshei yeshiva and administrators in attendance at a YUnite Shabbaton, the event's organizers took advantage of resources. Instead of a long Friday night tisch and dragged-out panel discussions, activities were kept short and to a minimum. Unlike previous years when student government enlisted the help of Jewish singers to entertain guests over Shabbat (singer Etan Katz only preformed Saturday after many of the Shabbaton attendees left the Sheraton Hotel in Stamford, CT) and cluttered the weekend's schedule with programming, this year's student leaders understood that the best way to unite was through candid conversation. Students could be found throughout the hotel lobby and in the large dining room speaking among themselves or with deans of their respective colleges. Noticing that their rebbeim were busier with diapers and Dr. Seuss, usually timid students felt at ease approaching their roshei yeshiva and other rabbinic faculty in the warmer setting of the Shabbaton.
Finally, while we appreciate the attendance of many YU personalities like Dr. David Berger and wife Dean Perl Berger, who realized the importance of this weekend, certain key administrators were missing. We are disappointed that, despite the large number in attendance, some roshei yeshiva backed out last-minute or, due to whatever reasons, kept to their general shitot and turned down invitation to the Shabbaton. Most noticeable was the absence of incoming RIETS-MYP Dean Rabbi Yona Reiss. Though he has occasionally been seen around campus in between meetings, Rabbi Reiss has yet to meet with undergraduate students about his plans for the morning programs. And while he comes highly recommended, it seems altogether illogical why a scholar with little experience in the field of education would miss the chance to get to know his students before taking the reigns from Rabbi Zevulun Charlop.
Fortunately, Rabbi Reiss will be spending Shabbat on campus next month, a weekend sure to be full of interesting discussion. We can only anticipate tough questions raised by students and well conceived answers from an individual who will steer the course of YU's Torah in the years to come. Many within the YU community expect great things from Rabbi Reiss and there's little reason to argue. We're just disappointed that he didn't take part in last week's YUnite conversation.
Stocked with the largest number of roshei yeshiva and administrators in attendance at a YUnite Shabbaton, the event's organizers took advantage of resources. Instead of a long Friday night tisch and dragged-out panel discussions, activities were kept short and to a minimum. Unlike previous years when student government enlisted the help of Jewish singers to entertain guests over Shabbat (singer Etan Katz only preformed Saturday after many of the Shabbaton attendees left the Sheraton Hotel in Stamford, CT) and cluttered the weekend's schedule with programming, this year's student leaders understood that the best way to unite was through candid conversation. Students could be found throughout the hotel lobby and in the large dining room speaking among themselves or with deans of their respective colleges. Noticing that their rebbeim were busier with diapers and Dr. Seuss, usually timid students felt at ease approaching their roshei yeshiva and other rabbinic faculty in the warmer setting of the Shabbaton.
Finally, while we appreciate the attendance of many YU personalities like Dr. David Berger and wife Dean Perl Berger, who realized the importance of this weekend, certain key administrators were missing. We are disappointed that, despite the large number in attendance, some roshei yeshiva backed out last-minute or, due to whatever reasons, kept to their general shitot and turned down invitation to the Shabbaton. Most noticeable was the absence of incoming RIETS-MYP Dean Rabbi Yona Reiss. Though he has occasionally been seen around campus in between meetings, Rabbi Reiss has yet to meet with undergraduate students about his plans for the morning programs. And while he comes highly recommended, it seems altogether illogical why a scholar with little experience in the field of education would miss the chance to get to know his students before taking the reigns from Rabbi Zevulun Charlop.
Fortunately, Rabbi Reiss will be spending Shabbat on campus next month, a weekend sure to be full of interesting discussion. We can only anticipate tough questions raised by students and well conceived answers from an individual who will steer the course of YU's Torah in the years to come. Many within the YU community expect great things from Rabbi Reiss and there's little reason to argue. We're just disappointed that he didn't take part in last week's YUnite conversation.