Ethics of Yeshiva University, Part II

Dear Reader,

First a quick reposting of one of my group posts on the Center for the Jewish Future:

-------------------------

The Center for the Jewish Future (CJF) claims that they are, in the words of Rabbi Brandler:

"For more than a century, Yeshiva University has promoted scholarship and activism to enrich American Jewish Orthodoxy in changing times and a rapidly evolving world. Now, with the launch of the Center for the Jewish Future, the university unifies its multifaceted efforts to shape and impact the Jewish future. The Center will harness the intellect, passion and compassion of our students, faculty and staff -- along with that of the extended community -- into a comprehensive series of initiatives that better enable us to articulate a vision for the future and work together to make it a reality."

Now, in this description, it already says how YU promotes scholarship and activism. Before the CJF was established, Torah Tours existed, as did various unified Jewish educational councils such as the Board of Jewish Education (As I'm sure some of you have taken the infamous BJEs in 7th or 8th grade). So why the CJF?

Unification is a funny concept. It is sometimes good and it is sometimes bad. On the very same page as this grand unification, it shows the subdivisions of the CJF:

The Center's seven divisions will focus on the following areas of Jewish life and education:

Supporting Rabbis, Partnering with Communities - Senior Scholar, Director: Rabbi Jacob J. Schacter
Developing the Next Generation of Rabbis - Directors: Rabbi Ronald Schwarzberg and Rabbi Marc Penner
Enriching Community - Director: Rabbi Ari Rockoff
Enhancing Jewish Day Schools - Director: Rabbi David Israel
Inspiring New Leaders - Director: Rabbi Moshe Bellows, Esq.
Embracing Challenges, Finding Solutions - Director: Rabbi Josh Joseph
Beren Campus Programming - Director: Dr. Susan Hornstein

A unified front with seven divisions, each with its own purpose. Each of these subdivisions are under different heads and seem to be, in practice, autonomous of each other. How is unity achieved through this? The divisions also strike me as odd. The most striking example is the Beren Campus Programming. I passed by the CJF office on the Beren Campus, and I'm not quite sure why there should be that seventh division. Why isn't there a Wilf Campus Programming? Are men and women truely equal in the eyes of the CJF? Enhancing Jewish Day Schools? We already have at least a dozen organizations from ATID to the BJE that do that. What distinguishes the CJF?

If anyone has any ideas as per whether they believe the CJF is a lame duck or an active participant in Tikkun Olam, go for a post.

-------------------------

That post having been said, it is interesting to observe that Yeshiva University redoes a great many of their programs due to the failure of others. The James Striars School has faded out in favor of a more strict program called Mechina. Constant restructurization is not always good. The advisement center moved. The health center moved. The counciling center moved. Why the constant rennovation? Is this a good use of funds? Only time will tell.

-Marc Kolb