Response to 'Out of Town, Out of Luck'

YU Actually Cares About Its Out-Of-Town Students More Than You Think

Dear Aiden Harrow,

I will be the first to testify to some of the frustrations stated in your article “Out of Town, Out of Luck” (Harow). As a fellow out-of-towner, spending Shabbos on campus can feel very isolating. I feel it every Thursday when my peers show up to class, suitcase in one hand, Uber in the other, itching to return home and spend the weekend with their families. I sometimes envy the fact that they don’t have to think about returning to campus until Monday morning, while I will be stuck in my dorm room for the next four days. On quiet weeks, it can feel like YU cobbled together some cold chicken and bread rolls just so they could accommodate all those “out-of-towners” who didn’t have anywhere to go for Shabbos.

In any case, your argument is built around Yeshiva University’s readiness to start building up a better on-campus Shabbos and Yom Tov experience. I think we both understand the importance of this. Not only does it affect YU's reputation throughout the wider community, for example, I would love to bring friends over to see some of the best that YU has to offer, but, as you said, it has a very deep and personal significance for us out-of-towners. Frankly, at the moment, the majority of students who will likely stay in for chag will do so only out of necessity.

As you do, I also reminisce about Shabbasim in my Yeshiva in Israel. I remember fondly eating meals in Rebbeim’s houses and some of the Shabbos shenanigans. Friends and family form a core part of the essence of Shabbos, as Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks says, “Shabbat is a celebration of the Jewish home, and the home is the matrix of Judaism“ (Sacks). We both seem to agree on one thing: the stark contradiction between the quality of Shabbos in our respective Israeli Yeshivas and at YU is something we ought to fix.

Yet, I don’t agree with placing the entire blame on YU's administration: “But, YU did not concede. Instead, they doubled down.” I think the root of the problem is the fact that in Israel, we’re all “out-of-towners,” yet at YU, only some of us are. So when YU offers us extended programming and the opportunity to learn in Yeshiva, it is up to the student body to band together and make the most of it. In your article, you state:

Instead of trying to clumsily rush an initiative of relatively seismic proportions to conclusion with a single stroke, YU could have turned to carrot instead of stick, rebuilding our trust in its ability to provide worthwhile Shabbos programming… (Harow)

I concede this was written two years ago, but I would urge you to reassess whether such a statement still holds.

When I reflect on my time in Yeshiva in Israel, there was nothing particularly special about the programming available. The food was average, there weren’t many shiurim in the afternoon, and I was probably a lot more bored than I like to admit. Here is the schedule for the Achdus Shabbaton, which features thirteen minyanim, four shiurim from multiple Rebeim, and plenty of learning opportunities. The only thing missing is the students! This is a problem at YU, but it’s not YU’s problem. It's ours.

Another important reason I believe YU wants to keep students on campus is that it typically falls early in the year, between mid-September and mid-October. A study conducted by Arnfrid Pinto states:

Key moments, such as introduction week, mentorship programs, and inclusive activities, play a pivotal role in establishing a sense of community and belonging.

The article goes on to explore how connections made during induction week can have a lasting impact on a student's experience throughout university, primarily by increasing their sense of belonging at the institution.

In fact, I wholeheartedly agree with your resentment towards online learning. I’m sure you won’t be surprised to hear that it is backed up by many studies, such as one that finds:

… bachelor’s degree students in online programs perform worse on nearly all test score measures, including math, reading, writing, and English, relative to their counterparts in similar on-campus programs (Cellini and Blanchard).

This year, unlike when you wrote the article, Rosh Hashanah and the following week fall in the period of dropping classes. This is a crucial time that will determine the quality of the upcoming semester. A bad online class will not necessarily mean a bad in-person class, so having online classes won’t allow students to properly assess a course. The simplest solution to all this seems clear: have in-person classes.

I can attest that by spending many Shabbasos on campus in my first semester, I have already felt a much closer connection to YU. With a strong start to the year, perhaps that will positively influence Shabbasim throughout the year. And it’s not just me who would say so. In a detailed study, featured in the Journal for American College Health, people who participated in at least 1 or more activities on campus felt a significantly stronger sense of belonging to their university (Dearth-Wesley et al.). Aiden, if this is telling us anything, it's that YU should be making even more people stay for Shabbat and Yom Tov. One of the things I love the most about YU is its amazing community. Why would we not want to further improve it with well-attended Shabbasos?

We out-of-towners have an extra stake in building a thriving and supportive community, as you said: “YU is trying to keep out-of-towners in for chag because it relies on us just as much as we rely on it”. Ultimately, Rosh Hashanah this year will only be its best if you stay, whether you’re an out-of-towner or not. So please feel free to join us!

Kind regards,
Abi Greenberg