Rabbi Dr. Aaron Rakeffet-Rothkoff says in this May 29, 2017 lecture: “The Rav said we have to have a real college… They had to get real professors to get accreditation… It has to be a real university experience. We have to prepare the youngsters to live in America… We had classes in English literature. There was one professor, every second sentence had a curse word. Academic freedom. There were classes in Darwin’s biology and Greek mythology. The kids would go crying to the Rav. ‘How can we study Greek mythology?’ The Rav would say, ‘You don’t want to understand the foundations of Western civilization?'”
“Biblical criticism did not enter the YU curriculum. Bible classes were very elementary. Biblical criticism is not part of Western culture. It is apikoros (heresy)… They could teach Talmudic criticism in Bernard Revel Graduate School.”
“What is J-E-P-D?”
“The greatest gift I got was studying Greek mythology.”
“Look at where we are today — the President of United States locker talk. Trump. It’s his third marriage.”
