Finding a Center: The Role of Yeshiva University Part II

I got some good comments on my last post, but I think some of you may have misunderstood my point, so I will just clarify and maybe add to it.

As Fearliss points out, YU is not a warm fuzzy place for young men to be taken care of. It is a college, not a yeshiva, and in order for it to be as successful as it has been, it must remain that way. At this point, students should know what they are getting in to when they get there, and surely, the Rebbeim in the Israel yeshivas know as well. Fearliss claims that this should absolve YU from any complaints regarding their lack of guidance.

I definitely see his point, however, I think that every person and institution must know their actual role as well as they way they perceive themselves. Whether they like it or not, YU is a place that many newly-committed (vulnerable) young men come to begin their journey into life. They need guidance. And if YU is going to open their doors to so many students like this, they need to be responsible in some way for their well-being. They are making advances, but I really think the burden should placed a little more on the Rebbeim, who are being paid a pretty good salary, from what I gather.

But that is not really the issue that I am most concerned with. What bothers me is the tremendous potential that is being wasted at YU. What our community needs is an option in the center. There is a large gap between the Modern Orthodox and Yeshivish communties, which are, in my mind, both generally missing the boat. There is no real community in the middle, only individuals that believe in a more balanced approach to Judaism.

There is no doubt, that many of these individuals are among those that manage and teach at YU. There is also no doubt that YU is an institution founded on a more balanced approach. The big question is the Rebbeim. If, in fact, many of the Rebbeim have more moderate views about professional life, well-roundedness, character development, modern culture etc... then they have not done a good job of espousing those views to those who really need to hear them (aka their students). Most of what they do, and really have time to do, is give shiur. Yes, there are exceptions in kind and degree, but this is generally the case.

Therefore, the culture in YU has become almost completely Torah based. This is a problem because most students are not destined for a Torah-only life, and because it allows for the continuation of the completely imbalanced and dangerous approach that many young men acquire during their time in Israel.

And if the Rebbeim are not espousing more centrist views because they don't believe in them, then maybe YU should find Rebbeim who do. It is ridiculous and dysfunctional for an institution to believe one way and to have the most influential people in that institution think differently. The big tragedy here is that YU is the one place with enough power to do something, but they constantly seem to be focusing in the wrong places or tripping over their own two feet.

Another problem is the area of leadership. (Here, I might upset some people, and I would love to find out that I am wrong.) Because these students see only maggidei shiur and not leaders/activists they only perceive greatness in Judaism through the lens of Talmud Torah.

To quote commenter Ari (from Ezzie's blog): I humbly suggest that public service / tircha d'tziburah be promoted as a legitimate expression of spirituality by the Judaic studies portion of these programs or yeshivas and seminaries. This sensitivity to the spiritual, emotional and physical needs of friends, neighbors and families might inject a little balance into the curriculum.

Could not have said it better myself. Why do you think Chovavei became so popular? There was and still is a vacuum in Modern Orthodox leadership (With notable exceptions Rabbis Blau, Dratch and others in the area of child abuse).

I would love to hear a million examples about why I am wrong.
But this is just the impression that I get.