Now or Never
Chicago's Yeshiva, The Hebrew Theological College, has undergone a crisis this year not experienced since the days of Rabbi Aaron Soloveichck’s tenure.
Once again a Rosh HeYeshiva’s employment there was terminated. And it was not done in the most honorable of ways. It was a coup. He was ousted by a faculty - many of whom were disaffected with his leadership.
I am not here to judge now former Rosh HaYeshiva, HaRav Shlomo Morgenstern Shlita, …or the faculty ..or the administration …or the board of directors that implemented the faculty’s wishes. Everyone here acted L’Shma. All parties here want what is best for the Yeshiva.
I have already expressed my praise and admiration for Rav Morgenstern previously. I honor his achievements. Without getting into details suffice it to say that in the over 20 years of his tenure as Rosh HaYeshiva, he took it from near obscurity and ignominy to prominence and respectably. He took a Yeshiva that had hit its nadir and that had begun a successful recovery process under former President Rabbi Don ...and turned it in into the most successful Yeshiva High school in the city. And he maintained the Yeshiva’s success through his leadership and guidance for many years.
Among the many successes besides its high school were: a great summer camp learning program for the community’s 7th and 8th graders from all the day schools… full accreditation as a college… fully accrediting the Anne M. Blitstein Teacher’s Institute for Woman. ..and various successful community wide projects.
But the one area the Yeshiva has failed in is in fact the most important one: That of being a Yeshiva.
By definition, a Yeshiva is about advanced and intensive Torah learning post high school. Most of the great Yeshivos of the world are exactly that and nothing more. Lakewood, Mir, Ponevezh, all have that feature and nothing else. Of course there are other institutions which include other programs such as Ner Israel which allows college attendance… and Yeshiva University, which of course has a great university on its campus. But even at YU - its essence as President emeritus Dr. Norman Lamm has always said is its Beis HaMedrash: The Rabbeinu Itzchak Elchanan Theological Seminary (REITS). Without that, YU would just be another college… with perhaps a Judaic studies program.
How does a Yeshiva achieve greatness? How does it attract quality students? Not by its college program. Of course in my view a college program is an important part of any Torah education. That is what Torah U’Mada is about. But it is not the main part. The main part of any Yeshiva is the Torah learning. That is what is going to build the Yeshiva. The rest is important, but secondary.
The Yeshiva is currently trying to re-organize itself. They are working without a Rosh Yeshiva. And they want to be very careful in hiring the right one. But that should not be their only goal. They need to build their Beis HaMedrash now!
There are also pressures on high school enrollment currently from both the right and left. A new Yeshiva has opened up attracting potential HTC high school students from the right and an improved co-ed academy is attracting students form the left. I do not have a fool proof solution for Skokie. But I do think they have missed the boat on one very important area.
One of the things that successful Yeshivos have in common across the Hashkafic spectrum, from Mir… to Ner Israel… to YU is a major Talmid Chacham who has established himself as a true Gadol in Torah learning. In many cases it is not the Rosh HaYeshiva himself but someone who has risen to that level through the force of his own brilliance and efforts. Mir has Rav Asher Arieli. Ner Israel has Rav Tzvi Berkovitz. YU has Rav Hershel Shachter. Each of those Talmidei Chacahim teach Torah at the highest levels. Young people who want to learn seriously seek Yeshivos like that. They want to learn from the best. And those Gedolei Torah are the ones who ‘speak that language’ to them.
Skokie has not had that since the days of Rav Aharon. At least not when it would have made any difference. Rav Moshe Herschler who followed Rav Ahron did not speak English and his tenure was very short. Rav Yechzkel Lichtmam had the misfortune to be hired when the Yeshiva was at the lowest period of enrollment in its history.
But for over a decade now, Skokie has been very ripe for such people. And while there were and are some very big people in learning on its faculty there now, there is no one like the three individuals I mentioned above. The Yeshiva did not do what’s necessary in my view to create a true Yeshiva. They instead concentrated on their very succesful high school and on their college/learning program. The latter has not been a successful enticement to Beis Hamedrash students. There were …and are some good students there but far too few to call it a successful Yeshiva.
Chicago has no other attractions. We are not New York. If Skokie is going to attract good students to populate their Beis Hamedrash there is only one way to do it. They need to hire a Beis Hamedrash Rebbe who is a Gadol BaTorah …or at least has the potential to become one. They need someone who is steeped in Torah . Someone who is relatively young and who is a product of American culture.
There are such people. The Yeshiva knows that. There is a vacancy there now through very unfortunate circumstances. It behooves the Yeshiva to not simply shift around its current staff to fill that position.
They need to get serious about that. This can be the beginning of the end if they don’t. They have an opportunity to literally reach for the stars. I hope they do it ...and do it soon. Because if they don't - I might have a campus to sell you.
