LAMM . ' DR. NORMAN. ASSUMES PRESIDENCY OF YU SELECTION CULMINATES AN EXHAUSTIVE.SEARCH Board Names Many Hear YC Graduate _Lamm Speak By JACK GLADSTEIN By DALE:POLAKOff On Tuesday," August 3, 1976, For the first time in 30 years, Max Etra, Chairman · of the students of Yeshiva College were Yeshiva University Board • of addressed by a new YU President. Trustees announced the ap Dr. Lamm 's powerful and signifi pointment of Rabbi· Dr.. Norman cant address last week in Lamport Lamm as the third President of Auditorium fulfilled the high ex YU. Dr.· Lamm is the first pectations of the student body au American born scholar to assume dience. Rick Elfman, President of · the office that was also held by Drs. Bernard Revel and Samuel Belkin. Yeshiva College Student Council The distinguished 48 year old introduced Dr. Lamm. President Elfman drew attention Ill the fact · graduate of YC has led a varied life that after a worldwide search for that has blended �oth ·secular and religious worlds. Born in Brooklyn, someone 10 assume .the office of Dr. Lamm attended Torah Vodath President, the answer was found ·i,i High School. Graduating from "Yeshiva's own backyard". Yeshi Yeshiva College in 1949 as valedlc va University had at last rnmplcted tcirian with a bachelor's degree the cycle of sclfperpetuation: summa cum laude iri chemistry, Dr. producing its own leadership. With Lamm went on to study chemistry these words of praise, Dr. Lamm at the Polytechnic · institute of was enthusiastically welcomed with �Brooklyn and received his semicha a standing ovation. from RIETS in 1951. Carr)·in� ()n At the suggestion of his pre At the outset of his remarks, Dr, Lamm respectfully spoke of his decessor Dr. Samuel Belkin, Dr. Qfficial �ndergraduate Newspaper of Yeshiva College Lamm chose· a· career in the Rab predecessor Dr. Samuel Belkin, de-· binate instead of pursuing science. claring that "the greatest tr-ibute we WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1976 First as assistant rabbi of New Vol. LXXXIV -No 1 could pay 10 Dr. Belkin is to carry York City's Kehillat Yeshurun (?D the yitally important work Synagogue, a.nd then as �piritual which he began," Although beset with many problems "this school is . leader of Congregation Kadima in Trustees' Selection Of Lamm going to. be greater than ever Springfield, Massachusetts, . ·Dr. Lamm epitomized the role of rabbi, before," said Dr. Lamm. His as teacher and community leader. Ends Search Committee ·Role positive altitude prompted mucti The naming of Dr. Norman Lamm as the third President of Yeshiva University culminated applause. . Community Conscious Dr. Laininis worii:ttetiowned for a long -and difficult process of selection by the Presidential Search Committee, headed by The theme of "working his many writings on contemporary EM°CDean °Jacob'Rabinowitz .. During the eight-month search, the fifty-member committee together" ran throughout Dr. Lamm's speech, as . he . offered a issues which incorporate Jewish. screened fifty-seven nominees be- of the. university;· and , outsiders Dean· Rabinowitz said that the . single promise that. "we are in for law and tradition. Am.ong his . . fore submitting· its·· recommenda chosen to present perspectives on work committee provided a· exciting times; we arc going to have published books are The Royal tions to the YU Board of Turstees. the needs of the university in the "forum for the thinking and ar to work. hard, have to tighten our Reach, Hedge of Roses, and Faith These recommendations led to the area of communal services. A ticulation of Yeshiva's goals and and Doubt. These works deal with Board's unanimous seiection-of Dr. smaller fifteen member work com · objectives," as the Committee's !Continued on l'at,.:t• :!• important p�ilosophical and prac Lamm. mittee, chosen from the full Search selection of a· president had to be tical questions as diverse as· Jewish The fifty members of the Com Committee, undertook the difficult compatible with its view of the AED Innovations views on law and order, ex- mittee represented the various un task of advising and setting commitment and philosophy of the ( Continued on-Page 41 dergraduate and graduate divisions · guidelines for the main committee. University. The Dean stressed that Employed In this articu!ation of ideas and ideals qrew the committee members closer YU Admissions Latin American Jewry_ Facing Trying Times together and tightened the bonds By SOL Ul-:IU:RMAN between the University's com In an extensive study of YU, un ponents. Arab Propaga_ndaHeightens Anti-Semitism der.taken by the Arndemy of Jews in Latin America have been confronted with escalating problems within the last To profile the president Yeshiva Educational Dcvelopmcnl (AED) decade. These problems have _created a ·sense of uncertainty and fe�r within the Jewish last spring, Yeshiva College\ ad community. ue to political, economic and social changes, Jewish institutions and Jewish missions program was found to be J:? . life have suffered. The Jews are ex- only partially productive and mostly inadequate. Enrollment was periencing both external problems 1933Again Zionist and anti-Nazi. down as compared to the prevfous such as discrimination from the Argentina has the greatest prob Arab Pressure various governments, as well as ·in lem of anti-semitism. Anti-semitic Attitudes toward Israel have year, even with City University's tern a I problems, suc·h as activity in Argentina has reached a drastically changed over the years. imposition of tuition for the first time. The members of the AED felt assimilation. level "which exceeds all that's pre In 1948, the Latin American coun that a "recruitment blitz" and Latin America consists of both viously known" according to the tries were crucial in the United other new innovations in the ad South and Central. America. Some Committee Against Racism and Nations vote creating the State of missions office would be effective countries such as Argentina contain Other Forms of Coloniali�m. based Israel, supplying · one half of in boosting enrollment. approximately 300,000 Jews. in Buenos Aires. In early Septem Israel's supportive votes. The Arab A flash. campaign was begun by Others such as El Salvador have ber, two Buenos Aires synagogues attack has reversed such supportive mailing 10,000 "Yeshivagrams" to only 300 Jews. Most Jews live in and a drugstore were bombed. A positions. Brazil has shifted from leaders of various Jewish the southern regions of the con group entitled the Argentine Social- an "equal distance" view of the organizations -and selected alumni tinent. . ist Front has circulated an article in Mideast to a pro-Arab stance. This asking them to locate and inform The various Jewish communities Buenos Aires claiming · responsi is the effect of growing economic prospective YU students about the have much in, common. Firstly, bility. The letter proclaimed an all woes and the need for Arab capital. programs YC has to offer, most of them have been founded out war against a "Jewish Bolshe Their reversal is so strong that the A�missions is coming! within the last cen�ury. Secondly, vik Plutocracy" which-blamed the Brazilian goverbment aligned with Dean Jacob.Rabinowitz The YU Undergraduate Scholar they are situated in one of the Jewish community for the ,mun the Arab bloc and voted in favor of ship Program was institµtcd to give world's developing areas. Thirdly, try's growing economic problems. 1he United Nation's resolution needed, the work committee pre deserving students financial aid. the majority of the Jews are either Equally as threatening to Argen equatingZionism with racism. sented the full committee with a Ads in major newspapers and radio employers or independently em tine Jews is the rise of an anti Mexico has also voted in favor of list , of thirty-five possible quali commercials were used as well. The ployed, with commerce as the ma Zionist propaganda campaign. One the UN resolution, indicating a fications for a YU president blitz also broug)lt the offices of jor occupa_tion. Unfortunately, main claim of the propagandists is change from its traditional support and asked the members of the full Public Relations, Student Finances they all share anti-semitism, a com that the Jews plan to. establish a of Israel. The Mexican government - 'committ�e to signify the iin and Admissions closer together 'in a inon evil, which is more severe in Jewish State called "Andinia" in has explained · its �9te by portance· which they accorded each some countries than in others. the southem portion of Argentina. referring t.o the need for a by ranking each on an "A"'to "F" concentrated recruitment effort. A special hotline, manned by alumni Within the past ten years this prob The showing of the movie QB VII "Suitable and free future for the scale. "A" represented absolutely and a team of faculty volunteers, lem has been heightened by the va in the interior of the country was Palestinian people." Incidentally, essential qualifications, and "F" rious Arab subversive activities. banned because it was labeled pro- ( Continued on Page 4 > (Contiryued on Page :i 1 (Continued on Page 31 PAGE 2 THE COMMENTATOR - FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK Welcome · One mb� MMENTATOR PAGE 3 CONTRIBUTING THOUGHTS Presidential. Search Committee Concludes Difficult Task Expresses Satisfaction WithTheChoice of Rabbi_·Lamm -... < Continued from Page 1 l solutely necessary or extremely im- nominees to the eight with whom .BM IN THE PM represented those of no import- portant qualifications. Fund rais the · committee held discussions, ance. Although the thirty-five-item ing, interestingly,. was not . con thereby, displaying great con list included such ·criteria as sidered to be of major significance. fidence in the committee. scholarship, academic position, Rabbi Rabinowitz stressed the Dean· Rabinowitz expressed 1------By MICHAEL GOLDBERG ---- and contacts in the· Jewish and sec- fact that the B�ard of Trustees took gratitude to the committee, which After devoting a great deal of my who incredulously asked how I ular world, over ninety percent of no part in the selection until they he termed the hardest working column· space last year to could possiblygo to YUand attend the committee's members designat- received the committee's recom committee on which he had ever highlighting the major problems the Rliv's shlur when he com ed dedication to academic ·excel- mendations on June _30. He said served. He said that "everyone" and fla�s of YU and the world, I promises himself on the hottest_of - lence, concern for .the religious cen that, "At no time did' they interfere was satisfied with the selection of have finally decided to change my days by wearing shorts to shiur. trality and tradition in the Univer . in any manner, shape or form". Dr. Lamm, whom the Board deter ways and reject the negativism of · (r.lostprobably not even black ones sity, leadership qualities, and sen with the selection system that mined to be the best possible my youth. at that.) To their chagrin I must say sitivity to moral issues as either ab-• narrowed dowri fifty-seven president for Yeshiva today. The most positive develop ing. that so far I haven't even seen the The Editor-in-Chief and Gov phenomenon that I could find at Rav wearing sneakers. Fur AED lnnovatio�s Employed In YU Admissions erning Board of THE COM YU iii by far the most important. thermore, I can state 'with ahnost MENTATOR wish to express a When I first began learning here, absolute certainty that I have·never· Groff Enthusiastic About Success Of Program hearty_Mazel Tov to Glenn Hir the ReisMedrash was not themost sat next to a nun or a priest in any sch, YC '75, AECOM '78, for popular night spot · on campus. of my classes(most definitely not a 11 Continued from Page 1 summer campaign, Rabbi Groff is mer Station Manger of WYUR Today, h�wever, it could very well nun). But the biggestsurprise to all was set up to explain the various asking for many changes towards a 74-75, upon his engagement to be. In the past few yean, the of these YU experts came about academic and financial programs. more . efficient and productive Reva Eisenberg, sister of former Yeshiva has experienced a steady when they suddenly reallied that The Admissions Office took a more · department. . Among ·his YCSC President Larry Eisen and steep Jump In the number of · the majority of the staff learning personal approach by following up . . suggestions is a Student Ad berg YC '7S, and Editor-in students wllo although ,burdened nights In camp were dlspropor pn applicants.· Students who ap- missions Society whereby a m1mber Chief Ricky Eisenberg. wlth as much college work 111 tionately. from Yeshlvat Rabbeinu . plied and decided against attending of undergraduates . would become anyone else, lire·wllling to dedicate' Yhzchok Elchanon (a name which were querried about their final actively involved in recruitment. their 'time fo learning sedorlm at · outside of official functions Is used · choices and their reasons for · WASHINGTON HEIGHTS-O'\ night. While It was highly unusual when one Is too embarrassed to say making them. ERLOOK TERRACE . in the not too distant past to find YU). All of this lnfol'Jllatlon which Conservative Party . . 6 Rooms, 3 Bedrooms, 2 Baths twenty people learning in the Reis was contrary to the basic up ACADEMIC $421 a month BEST LOCATION Although ft is· difficult to deter Medrash aintU late into the night It . bringing of tbe and-YU crldc had · 2 Blocks to Synagogue, Schools to . be analyzed and · radonallzed mine the number · of students who Is now commonplace for there to be . Subway and Shopping enrolled at YU tiecauseof this cam- RESEARCH two-hundredstudents there. And of course theanswer was slm- November Occupancy . The B.M. is not the most pie: every rule· has Its excepdon. . paign; Rabbi · Groff and his ' . . Call: 79-5-2379 beautiful room on the YU campus. Surely, even YU must have its assistants Mr. Paul Glasser and PAPERS l_ts decor does not compare with the token Jews. Miss . Judy Paiken c�nservativ� THOUSANDS ON FILE carpeted lounges of the library nor What the students of YU pave estimate lhat thirty students out of can it .compete with the plush lee- proven is that YU is a ye�iva. For 250 at vc and 15 of 180 at sew Send $1.00 for your up-to-date, 192-page, mail order catalog. ture halls of Belfer. Yet, the senses the enlightenment of all of those · enrolled. as a result of the cam and 'feelings aroused there are the who wilt'never allow themselves �o paign.· · 11926 Santa Monica Blvd. most penetrating around. Fur- be here, the b'nai hayeshiva are Enrollment, which was low in Los Angeles, Ca. 90025 thermore, one can not really feel filling the Beis Medi-ash day and June, jumped back up to last year's Original research also available. · that he is at a Yeshiva unless the night despite the pressures of being level. · · night seder is a part of his ex- . pre-meds and pre-laws.· ·T hey are The effects of the campaign, Enclosed is $1 .00. . Please rush the catalog to: perienc'e,· for 'Yeshiva' has · always · · t.oo · many ' to· . t;e. ca:lled. · token however, have gone far beyond jn- · Name ______meant a full d�y of learning a:ndit · anythings. For those who are a part creased enrollment. the revitalized The· Most Trns1£'d continues to .mean so all over the of YU's student bo
Dr. Norman Lamm Assumes Presidency of Yu Selection
