Message From Our President
Dear Students, Faculty, Staff and Friends,
I am pleased to present to you this Guide to our plans for the upcoming fall semester and reopening of our campuses. In form and in content, this coming semester will be like no other. We will live differently, work differently and learn differently. But in its very difference rests its enormous power.
The mission of Yeshiva University is to enrich the moral, intellectual and spiritual development of each of our students, empowering them with the knowledge and abilities to become people of impact and leaders of tomorrow. Next year’s studies will be especially instrumental in shaping the course of our students’ lives. Character is formed and developed in times of deep adversity. This is the kind of teachable moment that Yeshiva University was made for. As such, we have developed an educational plan for next year that features a high-quality student experience and prioritizes personal growth during this Coronavirus era. Our students will be able to work through the difficulties, issues and opportunities posed by our COVID-19 era with our stellar rabbis and faculty, as well as their close friends and peers at Yeshiva.
To develop our plans for the fall, we have convened a Scenario Planning Task Force made up of representatives across the major areas of our campus. Their planning has been guided by the latest medical information, government directives, direct input from our rabbis, faculty and students, and best practices from industry and university leaders across the country. I am deeply thankful to our task force members and all who supported them for their tireless work in addressing the myriad details involved in bringing students back to campus and restarting our educational enterprise.
In concert with the recommendations from our task force, I am announcing today that our fall semester will reflect a hybrid model. It will allow many students to return in a careful way by incorporating online and virtual learning with on-campus classroom instruction. It also enables students who prefer to not be on campus to have a rich student experience by continuing their studies online and benefitting from a full range of online student services and extracurricular programs.
In bringing our students back to campus, safety is our first priority. Many aspects of campus life will change for this coming semester. Gatherings will be limited, larger courses will move completely online. Throughout campus everyone will need to adhere to our medical guidelines, including social distancing, wearing facemasks, and our testing and contact tracing policies. Due to our focus on minimizing risk, our undergraduate students will begin the first few weeks of the fall semester online and move onto the campus after the Jewish holidays. This schedule will limit the amount of back and forth travel for our students by concentrating the on-campus component of the fall semester to one consecutive segment.
Throughout our planning, we have used the analogy of a dimmer switch. Reopening our campuses will not be a simple binary, like an on/off light switch, but more like a dimmer in which we have the flexibility to scale backwards and forwards to properly respond as the health situation evolves. It is very possible that some plans could change, depending upon the progression of the virus and/or applicable state and local government guidance.
Before our semester begins, we will provide more updates reflecting our most current guidance. Please check our website, yu.edu/fall2020 for regular updates. We understand that even after reading through this guide, you might have many additional questions, so we will be posting an extensive FAQ section online as well. Additionally, we will also be holding community calls for faculty, students, staff and parents over the next couple of months.
Planning for the future during this moment has certainly been humbling. This Coronavirus has reminded us time and time again of the lessons from our Jewish tradition that we are not in full control of our circumstances. But our tradition also teaches us that we are in control of our response to our circumstances. Next semester will present significant challenges and changes. There will be some compromises and minor inconveniences--not every issue has a perfect solution. But faith and fortitude, mutual cooperation and resilience are essential life lessons that are accentuated during this period. And if we all commit to respond with graciousness, kindness, and love, we can transform new campus realities into profound life lessons for our future.
Deeply rooted in our Jewish values and forward focused in preparing for the careers and competencies of the future, we journey together with you, our Yeshiva University community, through these uncharted waters. Next year will be a formative year in the lives of our students, and together we will rise to the moment so that our students will emerge stronger and better prepared to be leaders of the world of tomorrow.
Best Wishes,
Ari Berman
In response to the horrific events at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue, where 11 people were brutally murdered during the Shabbat morning services, student leaders from both the Beren and Wilf campuses organized a community vigil this past Sunday evening. Dr. Ari Berman, President of Yeshiva University, joined local community leaders and over 150 students, faculty and community members on the Wilf campus to mourn together and seek comfort.
“We were all stunned and grieved when we heard the news yesterday,” said Dr. Berman. “We stand tonight in mourning over the loss of our brothers and sisters in Pittsburgh, and we join in prayer for the full recovery of those in the congregation who were injured. The rabbis teach us that the Jewish people are like one body and when one side is cut, we are all in pain.”
Local and national government officials in attendance included Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13); Robert Jackson, Democratic nominee for State Senate (31st District, Washington Heights); NY State Assembly member Carmen De La Rosa (72nd District, Washington Heights); Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer; NYC Council Members Mark Levine (7th District, Hamilton Heights) and Ydanis Rodriguez (10th District, Washington Heights); and representatives from Manhattan Community Board 12.
The program began with community song, followed by words of inspiration and support from student leaders and both local and national government officials. Nolan Edmonson, Yeshiva Student Union president, noted that while evil was done in Pittsburgh, “we also glimpsed the true meaning of brotherhood and the service and charity that so many Americans—Jewish and non-Jewish—showed to this one small community in Pennsylvania.”
Congressman Espaillat stated that “this circle that we have formed here tonight… speaks much louder than any voice of hate, effort of bigotry, or attempt to inflict pain through anti-Semitism.” Jackson declared that “I stand here tonight to say no to hate and yes to love and understanding,” a point seconded by Assemblywoman Carmen De La Rosa, who said that people cannot “be silent in the face of hate… [we need] to always speak with our love and with our unity as a community.”
NYC Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez apologized to young people “because we, as adults, have not been able to eradicate hate, and now it is up to you to continue building a society of love,” while NYC Councilman Mark Levine put out a call “to come together again to fight this as Jews, Latinos, African Americans, Asians, LGBT, immigrants and native-born, Christians, Muslims, Hindus.”
Other University units have also been involved in responding to the situation. The Center for the Jewish Future has been working closely with local rabbis across the country to help them address concerns raised by the tragic events in Pittsburgh. The leadership at the Wurzweiler School of Social Work and the Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration have been working closely with educators and community leaders to offer support, while the Yeshiva University Counseling Center is offering emotional support to students on campus who may come from Pittsburgh and know the victims or their families.
