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A PUBLICATION OF THE RABBINIC ALUMNI OF THE RABBI ISAAC ELCHANAN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY • AN AFFILIATE OF YESHIVA UNIVERSITY CHAVRUSA Volume 48 • Number 1 אין התורה נקנית אלא בחבורה (ברכות סג:) March 2014 • Adar II 5774 CJF: Making a A Charge to the Difference Semikhah Graduates Page 10 Page 19 In This Issue Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary Page 3 News Remembering Rabbi Lifschitz zt’l, Rabbi Blech’s 80th Richard M. Joel Birthday, and more. PRESIDENT, YESHIVA UNIVERSITY BRAVMANN FAMILY UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm ROSH HAYESHIVA EMERITUS, RIETS Joel M. Schrieber CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, RIETS Page 13 Upcoming Events Pre-Chag HaSemikhah Events for RIETS Alumni and the Community Rabbi Menachem Penner ACTING DEAN, RIETS Rabbi Kenneth Brander VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY AND COMMUNITY LIFE DAVID MITZNER DEAN, CENTER FOR THE JEWISH FUTURE Page 15 In Pictures Rabbi Zevulun Charlop DEAN EMERITUS, RIETS Chanukah on campus, YU Student Medical Ethics SPECIAL ADVISOR TO THE PRESIDENT ON YESHIVA AFFAIRS Conference, RIETS opening shiur, Rebbetzin’s Yarchei Kallah, Pre-Tu B’Shvat Mishmar in Israel and more Rabbi Robert Hirt VICE PRESIDENT EMERITUS, RIETS Rabbi Yaakov Glasser ASSOCIATE DEAN, CENTER FOR THE JEWISH FUTURE Page 18 Letter to Musmakhim Page 23 From the Dean’s Office Rabbi Chaim Bronstein Rabbi Kenneth Brander An Interview with ADMINISTRATOR, RIETS Rabbi Menachem Penner Page 19 Divrei Chizuk Rabbi Adam Berner • Rabbi Binyamin Blau A Charge to the Semikhah Page 27 Recently Published Books Rabbi Kenneth Hain • Rabbi Elazar Muskin Graduates By Rabbi Aaron Rakeffet-Rothkoff Page 28 Life-Cycle Events Rabbi Moshe Neiss • Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Rybak Rabbi Shmuel Silber • Rabbi Perry Tirschwell Rabbi Elchanan Weinbach • Rabbi Howard Zack Rabbi Eliezer Zwickler YESHIVA UNIVERSITY RABBINIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE Editorial Policies CHAVRUSA A PUBLICATION OF RIETS RABBINIC ALUMNI • CHAVRUSA will consider articles and letters for publication. • Books authored by musmakhim that are reviewed by musmakhim will be considered for Rabbi Levi Mostofsky publication as well. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, CHAVRUSA • Obituaries about and authored by musmakhim will be considered for publication. • CHAVRUSA aims to maintain the Hebrew pronunciation style of the author of the article. Rabbi Aryeh Czarka Transliterations follow the author’s preference i.e. academic, Ashkenazic, modern Hebrew EDITOR, CHAVRUSA or the like. While we will remain consistent within articles, each author will be afforded to transliterate within his comfort level. Ms. Keren Simon • CHAVRUSA reserves the right to edit articles received for publication, and will make every ASSISTANT EDITOR, CHAVRUSA effort to show a draft form to the author prior to publication. Rabbi Robert Shur • Contributions may be sent to [email protected]. GRAPHICS AND LAYOUT, CHAVRUSA • In addition to CHAVRUSA magazine, articles and divrei Torah may also be submitted for publication in the weekly Rabbinic Alumni e-newsletter. Please e-mail them to CHAVRUSA is published by the Rabbinic Alumni of the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan [email protected]. Theological Seminary, through the office of Yeshiva University’s Center for the Jewish Future. Yeshiva University’s Center for the Jewish Future serves as the community service arm of the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS). It continues the work of the Max Stern Division of Communal Services which, for over 60 years, has served as one of the premier service organizations for the Jewish community. 500 West 185th St. Suite 413 • New York, NY 10033 212-960-5400 ext. 6346 [email protected] •www.yu.edu/cjf Editorial contributions and submissions to CHAVRUSA are welcome. This publication accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs. All submissions are subject to editing and are used at the editor’s discretion. Opinions expressed in this publication do not reflect official Seminary and/or University policy. 2 CHAVRUSA • ADAR II 5774 News Remembering Rabbi Rabbi Blech Dovid Lifschitz zt’l Honored at 80th Birthday Celebration Rabbi Benjamin Blech, associate professor of Talmud at Yeshiva University, was honored at a celebration of his 80th birthday on October 30. The event commemorated Rabbi Blech’s 47 years of teaching at the Yeshiva and included remarks by President Richard M. Joel, Rabbi Dr. Jacob J. Schacter and Dr. Jonathan Kusznitz in addition to Rabbi Blech. At the ceremony, Rabbi Blech was also presented with an award in recognition of his years of service by Acting Dean of RIETS, Rabbi Menachem Penner. “Rabbi Blech has the capacity in his writing and teaching to speak with such clarity and insight that people of different backgrounds can take profound lessons from him at their own level,” said President Joel. “On behalf of all of us at YU, thank you for your enlightenment to the world. What we On Sunday, June 16, 2013, RIETS and RIETS Rabbinic Alumni hosted do today is celebrate, G-d willing, the first two- almost 300 people to commemorate the 20th of one of the yahrtzeit thirds of your life.” n pillars of the Yeshiva: Rav Dovid Lifschitz, zt’l. The program was held in the Harry Fischel Beit Midrash, referred to as “admas kodesh,” hallowed ground, which Reb Dovid graced for almost 50 years from his seat at the mizrach wall, and where so many talmidim have studied over the years. The majority of the attendees weretalmidim of “Reb Dovid,” as he was affectionately known. Also present were many of the Roshei HaYeshiva as well as members of the Lifschitz family from Cleveland. President Richard M. Joel delivered greetings, and Rabbi Zevulun Charlop (‘54R), dean emeritus of RIETS, Rabbi Yitzchok Cohen (‘65R), Rabbi Benjamin Yudin (‘69R) and Rabbi Moshe Weinberger (‘83R) recounted their fond memories and experiences both during their days as talmidim as well as during the many years since. Rabbi Ari Waxman (‘90R), r’am at Yeshivat Shaalvim, RIETS musmakh and grandson of Reb Dovid, closed the program reflecting on the close familial connection with the Yeshiva. A number of speakers reminisced about their years with Reb Dovid, as well as his rich history as a Rosh Yeshiva at RIETS, his years as Suvalker Rav in Europe and the long-time president of Ezras Torah, one of the oldest Jewish charities. The common theme, in addition to Reb Dovid’s lomdus and Torah mastery, was his warmth, presence and charisma as well as his ongoing concern for the welfare of his many, many talmidim long Rabbi Benjamin Blech is presented with an award by RIETS after they left his classroom. A rousing rendition of his signaturenigun , Acting Dean Rabbi Menachem Penner “Tzavey!” brought the event to a close. n 3 CHAVRUSA • ADAR II 5774 News Upholding the Art of Chazanut Once a week for the past seven years, New York State Supreme Court Justice Martin Schulman has made the trip from his courthouse chambers in Jamaica, Queens to Yeshiva University’s Philip and Sarah Belz School of Jewish Music on YU’s Washington Heights Wilf Campus. Joined in a classroom by students who run the gamut from undergraduates and aspiring rabbis to doctors, lawyers, security guards and bus drivers, Schulman studies nusach ha-tefillah and the theories, music and techniques of chazanut, a critical Jewish skill that is fast being forgotten. But it’s not just about singing: Cantor Joseph Malovany provides instruction to Judge Martin Schulman at its core, chazanut is about channeling the voice of a community. since 1985. “Its holistic curriculum to get grounded in the basics: there’s no That skill is the main emphasis at includes not only courses in nusach ha- other place to learn it. “In the old days, Belz, a division of RIETS. Traditionally, tefilla and chazanut, but also in biblical people knew how to daven just by coming cantors have played a central role cantillation, shofar blowing, choral and to the synagogue and listening to the in synagogue life, where their instrumental ensemble, congregational baalei tefillah,” he said. “That generation responsibilities often included much singing and group leading—all designed has dwindled and gone. People don’t have more than the soulful and resonant to give cantors a full appreciation for their that knowledge anymore.” chanting of prayer services in accordance role in their communities and all the skills That’s one of the reasons Schulman with communal custom for which they they need to fulfill it.” began attending classes at Belz seven years are usually known, such as teaching Over the last few years, however, ago. “A lot of people who learn in so much children to read Hebrew or acting as cantors and rabbis in training have been depth about everything else in Judaism a scribe. In recent decades, however, joined at the Belz school by another kind don’t know basic nusach anymore,” he their presence in shuls across the United of student—the layman, like Schulman, said. “But I believe tefillah has to be done States has become increasingly rare, seeking to keep the cantorial tradition in a specific way. Thenusach that we’ve often limited to conducting services at alive. inherited conveys not only the spirit of special times such as the upcoming High “In any classroom, we have students the particular prayers but also of the day Holidays, as fewer and fewer communities who take our courses because they want on which they’re said.” have the resources to employ a cantor to go into the field, undergraduates or Zachary Bienenfeld, a recent Yeshiva full time. With this change, the art of semikha students looking to round out College graduate now working as a chazanut, its history and its customs are their education, and also the baaleh technology analyst at JP Morgan Chase, at risk of being lost to time, as fewer and batim who want to contribute to the shul agreed.