To the author of the opinion piece defending Yeshiva University:
Your letter argues that everyone connects to Hashem in their own way and that criticizing YU’s acceptance of alternative lifestyles is divisive and unnecessary. But this argument misses a fundamental point: Judaism has non-negotiable foundations. When those foundations are altered, what remains is not an “approach” to Judaism—it’s a different religion entirely, still masquerading as Orthodox Judaism.
You wouldn’t tolerate a student walking into YU proclaiming that “J” Yemach Shemom is the real savior of the Jews, that we must heed his teachings, and that this is simply another legitimate way of serving Hashem. Why? Because that belief directly contradicts your core principles. It’s not a “different path” within Torah—it’s Christianity. Similarly, you wouldn’t condone a YU Club whose entire existence is predicated on them being pork eaters, right? Why? Because, again, it’s not a “different path” but rather because it stands in open contradiction to a Torah commandment.
Likewise, when you claim that an alternative lifestyle is simply another way of serving Hashem, you are rewriting the Torah. The Torah does not allow for multiple truths on this matter. It explicitly forbids it—no caveats, no reinterpretations. To suggest otherwise is not merely a “different way” of practicing Judaism; it is a departure from Judaism itself.
Your argument about unity is emotionally compelling but intellectually dishonest. Yes, Haman, Hitler, and Hamas didn’t distinguish between Jews of different backgrounds—but that does not mean we should abandon halachic distinctions within Judaism itself. Torah is not defined by the hatred of our enemies; it is defined by the eternal will of Hashem.
You warn against avodah zarah, but what is a greater avodah zarah than twisting the Torah to fit societal trends? True avodah zarah is not just bowing to idols—it is replacing Hashem’s commandments with human ideologies. It is elevating feelings and personal interpretations above the unchangeable words of Hashem.
We do not serve Hashem by discarding Torah commandments in the name of inclusivity. We do not redefine issurim as “alternative paths” in avodas Hashem. And we certainly do not create a new religion and still call it Orthodox Judaism.
There is room for respectful debate within Torah. There is room for different minhagim, different hashkafos, and different emphases on various mitzvos. But there is no room for outright defiance of halacha while pretending it is part of the Torah’s framework.
Orthodox Judaism stands on the bedrock of halacha. Without that, it is not Orthodox Judaism at all. You may call your belief system “another way to serve Hashem,” but if it blatantly contradicts His commandments, then it is no longer Torah-based Judaism. It is something else entirely.
Shmarya Jacobowitz – Brooklyn
The views expressed in this letter are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of YWN. Have an opinion you would like to share? Send it to us for review.Â
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22 Responses
So well written and clearly laid out! Thank you for writing this letter.
Well said. YU is no longer an Orthodox institution.
YU has been chazer-treif for 90 years already. Rav Elchonon Wasserman ztvk’l hy’d wrote a letter in 1940 that it’s better to die under the Nazis than to be physically “saved” by YU which will then kill you spiritually. Rav Ahron Kotler ztvk’l refused to enter YU even when one of his talmidim’s levaya was in YU.
This article is 100% correct. The other article didn’t sit well with me, and it shouldn’t sit well with anyone else either.
I am not weighing in to the YU situation, as I don’t claim to know the entire story, but I don’t see how any torah jew can disagree with this.
YU and the OU and a bunch of modern orthodox schools march in the New York City Israeli parade along with the homosexual groups. Why. And chassidim in various elections voted for openly gay men married to others like them. Every group picks and chooses what’s best for them despite being against Torah laws.
The same could be said of the Lakewood Freezer, or any Yeshiva which officially condones bochurim who delay marriage, against the same Shulchan Aruch which prohibits toeiva.
At what point do we say that the Litvish yeshivas have lost the right to call themselves Orthodox.
It’s amazing how quick we are to criticize YU (which doesn’t condone toeiva, but merely caved to legal pressure), and how reluctant we are to criticize ourselves (which not only condones delaying marriages, but actually demands it).
A few years ago, I was sitting next to a kollel yungerman at a wedding. When he heard I had gone to YU he was a bit surprised since I had a beard and wore a black hat. He made it clear he was against yu. What followed were a series of accusations against the school., Most of them were inaccurate based on my experience, having been there. I suddenly realized there was no point talking to him about this. He had made up his mind that he was right and I was wrong. My advice for YU don’t bother trying to get acceptance with the yeshiva world ultimately you can’t fight hate with logic. Just do what your own Roshei yeshiva suggest. Run a great school that provides frum men and woman a chance to grow and develop at an institution with solid academic standards without being exposed to the secular university world. Let hashem handle the rest.
Very good points well written. I don’t know where people came up with this magic we include everyone business because if you read the chumashim especially Devarim on even an elementary level, you see just tell non-inclusive the Torah is when it comes to these things. I don’t know how people feel so far off track, but loving your fellow as yourself doesn’t include everyone as you can clearly see in Rashi. Someone who spitefully breaks the Shabbos without a care is not supposed to be at your table, and there’s many rules about how you treat such a person, and especially not to give them honors in the synagogue. But we all like to be popular so we don’t enforce these things. But a threat to our religion is supposed to be eradicated harshly and without a care about what those people will think about you. We stand up for Hashem and the Torah will never bend on homosexuality no matter how much your school needs money
Well written!
yrots:
YU exposes its students to the ideologies of the secular world. But at least all the “mixers” are presumably (mostly if not) all Jewish students rather the mix of gentile and Jewish at other colleges.
In a way, though, YU is much worse than secular colleges. At least at the latter, Jews know to be on guard against all the terrible things about secular “culture” and the rest. But in YU they are taught that these are a positive and Jewish.
Very true, the same must be said about Satmar ideology which wipes out entire sections of tanach and halacha based on a distorted and overblown agadata gemara. No matter how bad a secular jewish state is modifying and changing basic principles of the Torah is heresy and kefira period no matter who you are. Two wrongs don’t make a right!
A YU Frum doctor can be a greater tzaddik in the eyes of Heaven.
To are roster, your missing the point, the freezer, correct or incorrect was instituted by gedolim, the chofetz Chaim already discusses waiting to get married, to continue learning, that’s not clear cut, where as homosexuals is quite clearly prohibited in the Torah…
It is my understanding that YU “caved to legal pressure”. What would have happened if they didn’t? Would they have lost state, federal funds, sued by LGBTQ for billions of dollars, would they have gone out of business, etc.?
My son won an honor scholarship to YU 6 or 7 years ago but ultimately chose to study at the one of the best yeshivas in Eretz Yisrael. It was one of the best decisions he ever made in his life, and we are so happy!
The Yeshiva World promotes the idea that one can’t help being suicidal and depressed. Suicide and depression are aveiros according yo the Torah. How is it different than YU/MO belief that being gay is something one can’t help?
Check your own Streimel
The way women are treated in some of your communities is disgusting
As I’ve heard some holy rabbis say…
You can’t help being a guy.
Sigh
Everyone go pray for your own repairs
Sadly, “are roster” and others here are bearing symptoms of CHAREIDI DERANGMENT SYNDROME, a bitterly depressing syndrome in which sufferers take every opportunity to lash out and express their “resentment” of the chareidi and/or yeshiva community and their leaders. The DERANGED part is demonstrated when they absurdly attack with things that have nothing to do with the discussion at hand. They also have all sorts of preconceived psakim of their own which they matter of factly pasken that the chareidi/yeshiva tzibbur messed up on various things that they should have been consulted about.
Case to point: the mailbox writer beautifully explains something simple and straight to any torah jew; “alternative lifestyles” are clearly forbidden in the Torah. We should not tolerate or normalize such behavior in the slightest. Trying to claim that the Torah allows this is false and twisted.
Are Roster then comments some twisted thing about how BMG is going against Shulchan Aruch by having the freezer.
When Are Roster is paskening this for us, he publicly displays his ignorance of the nosei keilim on the shulchan aruch (which some permit marrying late for the sake of Limmud Hatorah.)
He is brazenly arguing with generations of Gedolim and Poskim who led the yeshivos this way, all with his minute knowledge and understanding, publicly displaying his conceit and sinaas talmidei chachamim.
The fact he’s trying to equate marrying late to mishkav zachar is extremely disturbing.
And the fact that the litvish yeshivos marry late is completely irrelevant to the YU issue, which is what reveals that all this sources from CHAREIDI DERANGMENT SYNDROME, and therefore he doesn’t care about the issue at hand rather about smearing chareidim. Unfortunately this is a widespread mageifa and such people should stop spreading hate and and get help.
@yeshivishrubbish and @goldnugget
It’s amazing how you give the freezer a pass because it was condoned by OUR Gedolim (as if Gedolim have a right to go against Chazal, and as if we have any evidence that Gedolim OK’d the freezer).
But when YU Gedolim do something we lash out (FYI, the point that there is a hetter to delay for Torah is obvious, but you forgot to mention the three conditions necessary for that hetter, and only a fraction of the boys in the freezer check those three boxes).
To the kofer “Are Roster”. I don’t “give a pass” or not give a pass to the decisions of gedolim. I don’t care what your warped view of daas torah is, but besides that, do you really have the conceit to think that their all wrong and shelo kehalacha and you got it right?! And after the fact that noone would even hire you to be a rov in the pathetic state you’re in, you’re actually confidently taking on people who wisdom and torah knowledge surpasses your little pea brain by light years?! Have you ever even asked a rov or rosh yeshiva who is pro sending late what his reasoning is? Or you just see the shalchun aruch and with your hate and conceit come to your own conclusion and then march around with your “psak” as if its a matter of fact.
The same chazal which you self righteously pasken like also pasken that hamevazeh talmid chochom ain lo cheilek leolam habah. Rest assured you’ll burn hot unless you do teshuva.
thinking out loud- actually the way women are treated in some of YOUR communities is disgusting