A crowd of close to 700 roshei yeshiva, rebbeim, students, alumni and supporters gathered on March 16 in a packed Marina del Rey ballroom for Yeshiva University’s Annual Yeshiva Dinner—a celebration of the living chain of Torah and the leaders who carry it forward. The evening honored three distinguished figures whose lives embody devotion to Torah and communal responsibility: Elliot Gibber, Rabbi Yaakov Neuburger and Rabbi Dovid Miller—along with the alumni of the RIETS Israel Kollel. 

“Since 1886, our Yeshiva has stood as a premier institution of Torah scholarship, nurturing generations of roshei yeshiva and communal leaders whose wisdom continues to illuminate the Jewish world,” said Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman, President and Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva University. “Here, the timeless wisdom of Torat Emet joined with Torat Chaim is realized in which Torah is studied at the highest levels, forming talmidim whose commitment to avodat Hashem and responsibility to Klal Yisrael shapes communities across the Jewish world.” 

The evening was both a tribute to extraordinary leadership and a testament to the vitality of the Yeshiva itself. Addressing the crowd, Lance Hirt, Chairman of the Board of the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, noted that the extraordinary support for the honorees and for the Yeshiva was evident not only in the sold-out attendance but also in the generosity shown throughout the evening. He shared that a record-breaking amount—more than $5 million—was brought in during this Dinner campaign to support Torah learning at the Yeshiva. 

“The Yeshiva Dinner offered a powerful reminder that the YU community; roshei yeshiva, faculty, students and supporters, together ensure that the most talented and dedicated young men can pursue this noble path of Torah leadership,” said Hirt. 

Honoring Those Who Strengthen Torah 

“Our honorees have dedicated their lives to shaping generations of talmidei chachamim and Torah leaders,” said Rabbi Dr. Yosef Kalinsky, Max and Marion Grill Administrative Dean at RIETS and Dean of Undergraduate Torah Studies. “We are deeply grateful to them and to the many supporters who came out in such inspiring numbers to celebrate and strengthen the mission of our Yeshiva.” 

Mr. Gibber, this year’s Guest of Honor, a Vice Chair of the YU Board of Trustees and a trustee of RIETS, was recognized with the Eitz Chaim Award for his longstanding leadership and dedication to sustaining Torah learning at Yeshiva University and beyond. This is an award that RIETS presents only rarely and only to individuals whose contributions to the Jewish community have gone far beyond what anyone could reasonably expect. It recognizes extraordinary devotion to Torah institutions and to the future of Jewish life. 

The Amud HaTorah v’HaMesorah Award was presented to Rabbi Yaakov Neuburger, the I. Meier and Henrietta Segals Chair in Talmud. Over decades of teaching as a rosh yeshiva, Rabbi Neuburger has guided countless talmidim with depth of learning and clarity of thought. His influence is evident in the generations of students who continue to transmit his Torah to their families and communities. 

The Torat Tzion Award recognized Rabbi Dovid Miller, the Benjamin and Charlotte Gottesfeld Chair in Talmud and Rosh Kollel of the RIETS Israel Kollel, together with the Kollel’s alumni. Through their years of learning in Eretz Yisrael and their continued service to the Jewish people, they embody the enduring connection between RIETS and Torah life in Israel. 

A Living Legacy of Torah 

“For more than a century, Yeshiva University has sustained a remarkable continuum of Torah learning—from undergraduate study to the highest levels of scholarship in the Kollel Elyon—shaping generations, cultivating scholars, teachers and leaders for the Jewish world,” said Ira Mitzner, Chairman of YU’s Board of Trustees. “Together with the evening’s honorees and the community gathered in support of the Yeshiva, we celebrated not only a proud legacy of Torah scholarship but the continued transmission of that legacy to the next generation.” 

To learn more about supporting the mission of the Yeshiva, visit yu.edu/yeshivadinner or email yeshivadinner@yu.edu.