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YUL.Commentator.9.1998-12-22.Pdf (13.72Mb) December 22, 1998/3 Tewl 5759 Tim Ofricial N(1ws11a1iei· of Yeshiva Coilcgti . ·. Volume LXIII lss1ieJ'i . , Student Protest Forces Administration Into Course of Action PLANSNow UNDERWAY TO REDUCE SPEED OF MOTORISTS ON AMSTERDAMAVENUE Chanukah Chagigah Draws Hund�eds of Spirited Revelers BY (HANAN HOSCHANDER of ta/midim with his renowned fiery and inspirational messages. On the evening· of December He stressed the holiness and th 14 , the second light of sanctity of the Beit Midrash as the Chanukah , the Student place where all the Yeshiva's Organization of Yeshiva (SOY ) events are held and the students held its annual Chanukah chagi­ gather. He implored the stu­ gah in the main Beit Midrash. A dents to run to the Beit Midrash joyous crowd, significantly larger for its primary purpose, Torah BY MORDECHAI FISHMAN t th 1a4 h and 186 Streets in the than in years past, attended the study, with the same alacrity and heart of YU's Uptown Campus. celebration, which included live zeal that they do for a celebra­ t t Goaded in o ac ion by a succes­ Three YU students were hit by vehi­ music, dancing, sufganiyot (tradi­ tion. t t sion of au omobile acciden s on cles over the span of a month; luck­ tional Hanukkah jelly donuts), There had been some ques­ t h Ams erdam Avenue, undreds of · ily, none suffered major injuries. and Dougie's wings. tion concerning the venue of this t t t t s uden s pro es ed on November Immediately following, a major The chagigah was preceded year's chagigah, which is tradi­ t 19, by blocking raffic on campus accident involving neighborhood th t t "mussar tionally held in the Harry Fischel h t by e radi ional while waving signs and c an ing residents occurred on the corner of schmooze," Beit Midrash. Yeshiva University's h t t t th given by Rabbi slogans demanding t a he stree Amsterdam and 1 as , resulting in t h Mashgiach t t t Yi zc ak Cohen, Depar men of Facilities be closed o serious bodily Ruchani t t h t t of MTA. Held in Lamport Managemen objected o t e use ensure s uden harm to fourpas­ h t auditorium, t e rabbi exhorted safety. Timed o sengers in the the gathered crowd of hundreds continued on page B coincide with a two cars. meeting of the Officially, Ex ecut ive Amsterdam VU Aligned Rabbis at Center Committee of Avenue between the Board of 1 a3rd and 186th of Wye Accords Fracas University Trustees, the protest was streets is supposed to be closed to organized by the collective stu­ vehicular trafficbetween the hours Rabbinic DebateEnters Political Arena dent leadership of YU spearheaded of 8 AM and 11 PM when students The Commentator BY YEHUDA BURNS t by and YCSC, are walking about and going to have been condi ionally approved and resulted in promises of con­ classes. Signs posted on light poles by the Israeli cabinet. crete action from the administra­ and traffic signs prominently Over the past few weeks, the Subsequently, letters by Rabbi t New York Post The ion. announce this fact, but in practice, pages of the and Julius Berman and Rabbi Tendler The impetus forth e protest was Jewish Week have played host to a in the Jewish Week served to keep a series of car accidents on heated debate over the validity of the issue alive. Berman noted that Amsterdam Avenue between continued on page 17 the recently signed Wye Peace "A more careful analysis would dis­ Accords. The agreements provid­ close that the ha/akhic principles ed for further Israeli territorial con­ involved are not in dispute at all." Stone Foundation Draws cession in return for Palestinian He suggested that the aforemen­ security guarantees. The debate tioned rabbis reconsider their the Line on Divisiveness itself centers on a Post advertise­ decision based on security con­ ment signed by several YU Roshei cerns. Tendler responded that, in Cleveland Charitable Group Yeshiva which, effectively, stated fact, their conclusions were based that the Wye agreement is on the security assessments of Cites YU as Funding Priority ha/akhical/y invalid. Though the Israeli cabinet minister Ariel t BY AARON KLEIN group did not represent the whole Sharon, an undispu ed Israeli secu­ American Greetings, said in a pub­ t h t t t h t h h th t h t t of YU or i s Ros ei Yeshiva, i s ri y exper . "T e sanc ity of uman lis ed report a is family's s a e­ t h h th t t t t advertisemen as fueled debate life," e added, was e sole basis The Sapirs ein-S one-Weiss men was promp ed by an incident t h halakhic t h h bo h on and offcampus. fort eir opinion. Foundation, a Cleveland-based las year in w ic a member of h t h th th th T e ini ial ad was sponsored by T e ad opened e doors to a family foundation comprised of e Aguda Israel of America's Council th h halakhic t t t h e group lc ud Harabonim, and deba e regarding land­ owners of he American Gree ings of Tora Sages, Rabbi Elya Svei, th t was signed by Rabbi Aaron for-peace dealings and e safety Corporation, recen ly released a publicly assailed Rabbi Dr. Norman h t th t t th t Soloveic ik, Rabbi Moshe Tendler, of Jews in Israel. Of greater signif­ statemen declaring at i will be Lamm, President of YU. A e ime, h h h h t h t and Rabbi Hersc el Reic man. icance, t oug , is the fact that it direc ing· its family's considerable Lamm ad gone on he record in th th t t t h t Calling e agreement a "life allowed fora public debate on e resources away from ins i utions suppor of t e recommenda ions h t t h t t th h t rea ening danger to all residen s met odology and some imes tha "sow divisiveness among of e Ne'eman Commission w ich t t t ha/akhic Jews," and toward those more was attempting to solve Israel's of Israel," the group determined poli ical na ure of he that"it is prohibited by Jewish law decision-making process. open to religious pluralism. pluralism and conversion crisis. t h h h h h th to participate in this ragic and ter­ Once debate on t is topic Accordingly, Yes iva University as Rabbi Svei, w o eads e t t h t th t th h h h rible agreemen . I is pro ibited seemed o be waning, a second been placed on e op of e Talmudical Yes iva of P iladelp ia, h t t t t t t t t "Sonai Hashem" by Jewis Law for i o be ra ified adver isemen found its way into Founda ion's list of ins itutions o called Lamm a or t t by he Israeli Government." Since suppor . h th t Mr. Irving Stone, the founderof continued on page 16 t en, e agreemen 's clauses continued on page 18 .. Pqe2 December 22, 1998 -----------------�lwww.vucoMMENTATOR.coM�I------------------ Students Must Speak Out _Against NYPD Blues COMMENTATOR Just recently, one of the most pressing issues to be addressed by The 500 West 185th Street,New York, NY 10033, Commentator was that of the danger of the traffic whichpasses through Yeshiva E-Mail: [email protected]. University's uptown campus. Telephone: (212) 740-2155,Fax: (212) 928-8637. In an unfortunateturn of events, this problem has spawned a much graver An independently operated student publication funded by the Yeshiva College Student circumstance. Law enforcementofficers have been involved in a questionable Council and published on a bi-weekly basis during the academic year. The views expressed incident of selective enforcementof a long-ignored statute. in the columns herein are those of the writersalone and do not necessarily reflect the opin­ Hundreds of automobiles that did not make any locals stops were permitted ions of The Commentator, the student body, the faculty, or the administration of Yeshiva to travel the avenue unhindered on the same day that a YU student was ticket- . University. We do not necessarily endorse any of the products or services advertised in these ed forthis long-forgottenregulation. pages. Copyright 1998, TheCommentator. One issue free, $1.00 for each additional issue. It has been suggested that a YU student was singled out forpunishment, MORDECHAI FISHMAN possibly as a result of his identity. ADAM MOSES Even if the intentions of the officerswere not as nefarious as many students Editor-In-Chief Editor-In-Chief believe them to be, we must be alert to the ever-present potential forabuse of. power. CHANAN HOSCHANDER We call upon the New York City Police Department to explain their policy Executive Editor with regard to the closure of Amsterdam Avenue and we demand that they ... treat YU students in a fair and equitable manner. YEHUDA BURNS ALEX TRAIMAN As is oftenlamented,"lt is difficultto police the police," however, their actions Features Editor Layout Editor must not go unchecked. We must make ourselves heard in order to help the men in blue to realize that the slogan "to serve and protect" refers to the citizens YOSEF LEVINE YISHAI FLEISHER of this great nation and not to the blue wall of silence. Managing Editor Arts & Culture Editor To the administrators and students of this institution: Do not let the seeds of anti-Semitism be sown in the flowerbed of silence.
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