A teacher writes on Hirhurim: "As someone who has taught and teaches in high level post high school yeshivot and seminaries- I can attest that the reading level, as well as the ability to "sit" and study, has declined. They enjoy high level discussions- but can’t and won’t do much on their own. A simple look at the high schools will confirm- they are focusing on informal education at the expense of formal education. Are their "religious" results better? Maybe- hard to tell."
Rabbi Gil Student writes: "You pay for the socialization, so your children will remain frum. The education is secondary."
Tzvee writes:
Let me be clear in my sincere desire to want to praise the student newspaper at Yeshiva University for the article, "Who Runs YU? How Trustees Are Selected At YU and Universities Across The Country," by Elie Friedman, Daniel Goldmintz and Noach Lerman.
The writers tried to put together a thoughtful analysis of how the Board of Trustees at Yeshiva operates in theory and to place that in the context of universities in general.
Let me be equally clear that I was disappointed that the newspaper did not produce the article that I and the rest of the world would like to have read about the Board of Trustees of Yeshiva University.
Namely, I want to know much more about the reality, not the theory of the Board. How were Madoff and Merkin selected and what did they do on the board? How many previous Board members had to resign in scandals? How closely are the present Board members being scrutinized now for potential scurrilousness? How much does each member contribute or raise?
But seriously folks, let me now be candid.
The article is a joke.
It cites only anonymous sources with one exception, a Jesuit priest who is named and identified by title!
Here is how the paper attributes all of its information, I kid you not.
…one YU alum who remains involved…
…several thought…
A senior YU official said…
One senior YU official said…
One veteran YU board member noted…
A senior Yeshiva official confirmed…
"Officially," a senior YU official said…
Yeshiva officials acknowledged…
Several individuals, including one board member, mentioned…
A senior Yeshiva official denied…
One Yeshiva official was unsure…
"It’s not a bad idea," one senior official said.
According to one longtime YU board member…
…one board member maintained
…one board member said.
Still, one board member noted…
In an e-mail, Rev. Charles L. Currie, S.J., the AJCU’s president, stated…
A university official said…
…a senior YU official insisted that…
On the other hand, one rabbinic leader suggested that…
This kind of journalism makes YU look foolish.
Nachum Lamm posts: "That Joel Cohn interview was a bit troubling. R’ Hecht is great, but I think it’s rather telling that he can spend years as an undergraduate and have no memories of his secular education (and seem quite pleased at that fact, and almost bitter that he had to take secular courses at all) apart from one professor who happens to also be a rebbe."
