Yeshiva University's Primary Faith: Exploring The University's Religious Focus

Yeshiva University is a private Orthodox Jewish university with campuses in New York City. The university's undergraduate schools offer a dual curriculum inspired by Modern-Centrist-Orthodox Judaism's hashkafa (philosophy) of Torah Umadda (Torah and secular knowledge), combining academic education with the study of the Torah. The university's mission statement describes it as rooted in Jewish thought and tradition and dedicated to advancing the moral and material betterment of the Jewish community and broader society, in the service of God.

While the majority of students identify as Modern Orthodox, the university enrols students of all faiths, or no faith, at its graduate and professional schools. The Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS), a rabbinical seminary, is a core part of the university's undergraduate experience.

Yeshiva University is a private Orthodox Jewish university

The university's roots can be traced back to the Etz Chaim Yeshiva founded in 1886 on the Lower East Side of Manhattan by Eastern European immigrants. It offered a cheder-style elementary school education with the study of Talmud alongside some secular education, including instruction in English. The rabbinical seminary was later chartered in 1897. Today, Yeshiva University has expanded to comprise some twenty colleges, schools, affiliates, centres, and institutions, with several affiliated hospitals and healthcare institutions. It has campuses and facilities in Manhattan (Washington Heights, Murray Hill, and Greenwich Village), the Bronx, Queens, and Israel.

The university's academic programs are organised into various schools, including Yeshiva College for Men, Stern College for Women, Katz School of Science and Health, Sy Syms School of Business, and several graduate and professional schools. The undergraduate experience at Yeshiva is intentionally designed to be intensely religious, with features such as single-sex campuses, multiple prayer services throughout the day, Shabbat regulations, kashrut observance, and extra Torah study opportunities in the evenings. The daily schedule requires hours of Torah study, and upon graduation, Yeshiva confers an Associate Degree in Hebrew Language, Literature, and Culture, in addition to the Bachelor's Degree in the student's particular academic major.

While the majority of students at Yeshiva University identify as Modern Orthodox, the university welcomes students of all faiths or no faith, particularly at the graduate and professional schools. The university's mission statement reflects its commitment to advancing the moral and material betterment of the Jewish community and broader society, in the service of God. This commitment extends beyond the undergraduate schools, as the graduate schools also embody core values such as seeking truth, discovering potential, living with compassion, and bringing redemption.

The university has four campuses in New York City

Yeshiva University is a private Orthodox Jewish university with four campuses in New York City. The university's main campus, Wilf Campus, is located in the Washington Heights neighbourhood of upper Manhattan. The campus is easily accessible by car or public transportation. The university's main office is located within the Wilf Campus, at 500 185th St.

The other campuses include the Murray Hill, Greenwich Village, Bronx, and Queens campuses. The Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS) also maintains a campus in Jerusalem, Israel, where many rabbinic students spend a year studying.

The Wilf Campus was named in honour of the Wilf family, in recognition of their over 20 years of sustained support and contributions to Yeshiva University, especially in the area of need-based and merit scholarships. The Jacob and Dreizel Glueck Center for Jewish Study, located in the heart of the Wilf Campus, physically reaffirms the centrality of Torah studies in the college's academic mission.

The university's undergraduate schools—Yeshiva College, Stern College for Women, Katz School of Science and Health, and Sy Syms School of Business—offer a dual curriculum inspired by Modern-Centrist-Orthodox Judaism's hashkafa (philosophy) of Torah Umadda ("Torah and secular knowledge"), combining academic education with the study of the Torah.

The undergraduate experience at Yeshiva is intentionally designed to be intensely religious

Yeshiva University is a private Orthodox Jewish university with four campuses in New York City. The undergraduate experience at Yeshiva is intentionally designed to be intensely religious. The university's undergraduate schools—Yeshiva College, Stern College for Women, Katz School of Science and Health, and Sy Syms School of Business—offer a dual curriculum inspired by Modern-Centrist-Orthodox Judaism's hashkafa (philosophy) of Torah Umadda ("Torah and secular knowledge"), combining academic education with the study of the Torah.

The university's mission statement for all of its undergraduate schools reads:

> "Yeshiva University is the world’s premier Jewish institution for higher education. Rooted in Jewish thought and tradition, it sits at the educational, spiritual and intellectual epicenter of a robust global movement that is dedicated to advancing the moral and material betterment of the Jewish community and broader society, in the service of God."

The undergraduate experience at Yeshiva is designed to be intensely religious during the formative years of its students' lives. Its fundamental purpose is to transmit the university's multimillennial biblical and halachic tradition and enable students to integrate their faith and practice into their lives. The essential features of campus life include two single-sex campuses, multiple prayer services throughout the day, Shabbat regulations, kashrut observance, and extra Torah study opportunities in the evenings. The daily schedule of undergraduate students involves several hours of Torah study, and upon graduation, Yeshiva confers an Associate Degree in Hebrew Language, Literature, and Culture to nearly the entire undergraduate student population (over 90%) in addition to their Bachelor's Degree.

In addition, the university's world-renowned rabbinic and post-rabbinic ordination program, the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS), integrates seamlessly with and influences the undergraduate experience and environment. Every undergraduate student who chooses to attend Yeshiva is opting for this religiously driven environment and curriculum instead of other college experiences.

While the majority of students at the university identify as Modern Orthodox, many students, especially at the Cardozo School of Law, the Sy Syms School of Business, and the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, are not Jewish. The university has always enrolled students of all faiths, or no faith, at its graduate and professional schools.

Yeshiva University is rooted in core Torah values and an educational philosophy of Torah u-Madda

Yeshiva University is a private Orthodox Jewish university with campuses in New York City. It is rooted in core Torah values and an educational philosophy of Torah u-Madda, which translates to "Torah and secular knowledge". This philosophy combines academic education with the study of the Torah. The university's undergraduate schools offer a dual curriculum inspired by Modern-Centrist-Orthodox Judaism's philosophy, reflecting its commitment to training the next generation of Jews in Orthodox teachings.

The university's roots can be traced back to the Etz Chaim Yeshiva, founded in 1886 on the Lower East Side of Manhattan by Eastern European immigrants. It offered a cheder-style elementary school education, including the study of Talmud alongside some secular education, such as instruction in English. Over time, Yeshiva University has expanded to include around twenty colleges, schools, affiliates, centres, and institutions, with several affiliated hospitals and healthcare institutions.

The university's mission statement emphasises its dedication to advancing the betterment of the Jewish community and broader society, guided by Jewish thought and tradition. This commitment is reflected in its academic programs, which offer a varied curriculum of Jewish studies and liberal arts. The university's educational philosophy recognises the religious value of worldly wisdom while prioritising Torah.

Yeshiva University's undergraduate experience is intentionally designed to be intensely religious, with features such as single-sex campuses, multiple prayer services, Shabbat regulations, kashrut observance, and extra Torah study opportunities. The daily schedule requires hours of Torah study, and upon graduation, nearly the entire undergraduate student population receives an Associate Degree in Hebrew Language, Literature, and Culture, in addition to their Bachelor's Degree. The university's rabbinic and post-rabbinic ordination program, the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS), also plays a significant role in shaping the undergraduate experience.

In conclusion, Yeshiva University's roots in core Torah values and its educational philosophy of Torah u-Madda are evident in its history, mission statement, academic programs, and the overall undergraduate experience it offers. The university's commitment to combining religious studies with secular knowledge reflects its interpretation of the Torah's teachings and its aim to prepare students for contribution, impact, and personal meaning in their lives.

The university has been involved in legal proceedings since April 2021

Yeshiva University is a private Orthodox Jewish university with campuses in New York City. The university has been involved in legal proceedings since April 2021, after blocking official recognition of a Pride Alliance club for undergraduate LGBTQ+ students and their allies. The controversy surrounding LGBTQ-supportive undergraduate groups at Yeshiva University has been ongoing since at least 2009, when students created a "Tolerance Club" to promote acceptance of diversity within the university community.

In 2021, undergraduate students sued the university for refusing to recognize a new LGBTQ+ student group, YU Pride Alliance. The university retained the pro-religious practice law firm Becket Law as its counsel. In June 2022, a New York court ruled that the university must recognize the undergraduate Pride Alliance. The university appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court in August 2022, and a temporary stay was issued by Justice Sotomayor. However, the full court vacated the stay without prejudice, ruling that the New York appeals process was incomplete.

In response to the ongoing legal challenges, the university put all student clubs on hold in September 2022. Despite the controversy, the university has expressed its love and support for its LGBTQ+ students and has approved a new LGBTQ student group, Kol Yisrael Areivim, which is intended to be an "approved traditional Orthodox alternative" to the YU Pride Alliance. The university continues to defend itself in the lawsuit, arguing that it is a religious institution with full religious authority over its environment. The outcome of this legal proceeding has broader implications for the university's ability to make religion-based decisions and maintain its religious identity.

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