My Favorite Biblical Hebrew Imperative

I've decided that I need to practice writing more casually. I was reminded of my favorite biblical Hebrew imperative word, since it shows up in פרשת וירא. 

Most of the language of the Hebrew Bible is written in some kind of formal register. Often you can tell the difference between the style narratives, such as the events of plagues in וארא and בא, and the style of legal codes, such as in משפטים. 

In many of the stories in בראשית, the narration of stories is in one register, but the dialogue of the charaters is in poetic verse. The story of גן עדן in the second chapter of בראשית is the perfect example of this. Most biblical stories do not write the dialogue of the characters in poetic verse. Sometimes it seems that the dialogue is written in a jargon register. The narrative tries to highlight that the characters are speaking and that they speak differently than how the narrator speaks in the story. 

This is where my favorite imeprative comes into play. The imperative form in bilblical Hebrew is almost always used in dialogue. When a character uses the imperative, it signifies that they are speaking differently from the narrator.  My favorite imperative is גש, גשה or גשי. These are used as commands for someone to move somewhere. They aren't moving very far. If you want to tell someone to move a few steps to the left, it seems like you would use גש. Whereas if you wanted to tell someone to go to a different location, you would say בא. The word גש appears in its imperfect form, when used by the narrator. There are plenty of examples of ויגש, in context they usually refer to someone approaching something. 

Many of the imperative phrases that us גש are very short and quick to say. I suspect that brevity is a signifier of more colloquial speech, or at the very least, the language of commands. 

In וירא, we have (Genesis 19:9):

וַיֹּאמְרוּ גֶּשׁ־הָלְאָה וַיֹּאמְרוּ הָאֶחָד בָּא־לָגוּר וַיִּשְׁפֹּט שָׁפוֹט עַתָּה נָרַע לְךָ מֵהֶם וַיִּפְצְרוּ בָאִישׁ בְּלוֹט מְאֹד וַיִּגְּשׁוּ לִשְׁבֹּר הַדָּלֶת׃

The word גש means to move a little bit and הלאה means the direction away from here. The phrase really rolls off of the tongue. It is a very short phrase, גש הלאה. It feels like something that you could shout, its a command for someone to back off. The mob is commanding Lot to back away from the door to his house to let them in. 

Another example of גש as a quick command word appears in II Samuel 1:15.

וַיִּקְרָא דָוִד לְאַחַד מֵהַנְּעָרִים וַיֹּאמֶר גַּשׁ פְּגַע־בּוֹ וַיַּכֵּהוּ וַיָּמֹת׃

Here, David is commanding one of his servants to execute the Amalekite man who claimed to have killed Saul. The language he uses to command the execution includes the word גש, since the servant is only traveling within David's vacinity to where the Amalekite man. The the instruction for the kill is פגע בו, which is the imperative, strike him. The command is phrase itself is very short. It's only three syllables (I don't count the שוא as a syllable), just like גש הלאה from before. It's a quick and deadly command. 

The last example of this kind of brief command language comes from Ruth 2:14:

וַיֹּאמֶר לָה בֹעַז לְעֵת הָאֹכֶל גֹּשִׁי הֲלֹם וְאָכַלְתְּ מִן־הַלֶּחֶם וְטָבַלְתְּ פִּתֵּךְ בַּחֹמֶץ וַתֵּשֶׁב מִצַּד הַקּוֹצְרִים וַיִּצְבָּט־לָהּ קָלִי וַתֹּאכַל וַתִּשְׂבַּע וַתֹּתַר׃

In the context, Boaz is being kind to Ruth and he invites her to join the fieldworkers for their meal. It is a very different context from the story of Lot, where the violent mob is yelling at him, or for David when he commands someone's summary execution. The exact language of a command can be mirrored between stressful and calm contexts. Boaz says גושי הלום, (which is also three sylables) which means come here, it's the opposite command of גש הלאה. 

There are other imperative forms of גש that show up in more poetic contexts. In the blessing story of Isaac, Jacob, and Esau, Isaac speaks in a poetic register. Twice he uses the words גשה נא and once הגישה נא when he asks his sons to approach him. 

There is a rather emotionally charged example of גשה used in one of Isaiah (two electric boogaloo)'s prophecies (49:14-21):

וַתֹּאמֶר צִיּוֹן עֲזָבַנִי יְהוָה וַאדֹנָי שְׁכֵחָנִי׃ הֲתִשְׁכַּח אִשָּׁה עוּלָהּ מֵרַחֵם בֶּן־בִּטְנָהּ גַּם־אֵלֶּה תִשְׁכַּחְנָה וְאָנֹכִי לֹא אֶשְׁכָּחֵךְ׃ הֵן עַל־כַּפַּיִם חַקֹּתִיךְ חוֹמֹתַיִךְ נֶגְדִּי תָּמִיד׃ מִהֲרוּ בָּנָיִךְ מְהָרְסַיִךְ וּמַחֲרִבַיִךְ מִמֵּךְ יֵצֵאוּ׃ שְׂאִי־סָבִיב עֵינַיִךְ וּרְאִי כֻּלָּם נִקְבְּצוּ בָאוּ־לָךְ חַי־אָנִי נְאֻם־יְהוָה כִּי כֻלָּם כָּעֲדִי תִלְבָּשִׁי וּתְקַשְּׁרִים כַּכַּלָּה׃ כִּי חָרְבֹתַיִךְ וְשֹׁמְמֹתַיִךְ וְאֶרֶץ הֲרִסֻתֵיךְ כִּי עַתָּה תֵּצְרִי מִיּוֹשֵׁב וְרָחֲקוּ מְבַלְּעָיִךְ׃ עוֹד יֹאמְרוּ בְאָזְנַיִךְ בְּנֵי שִׁכֻּלָיִךְ צַר־לִי הַמָּקוֹם גְּשָׁה־לִּי וְאֵשֵׁבָה׃ וְאָמַרְתְּ בִּלְבָבֵךְ מִי יָלַד־לִי אֶת־אֵלֶּה וַאֲנִי שְׁכוּלָה וְגַלְמוּדָה גֹּלָה וְסוּרָה וְאֵלֶּה מִי גִדֵּל הֵן אֲנִי נִשְׁאַרְתִּי לְבַדִּי אֵלֶּה אֵיפֹה הֵם׃

This passage describes how Zion has lost all her children, and how she will feel when God brings her children back home. The section makes use of a great Hebrew word for which there really isn't an exact equivalent in modern English. We have words for people who are have lost loved ones and are forever grieving. A widow or widower is someone who's spouse has died. Biblical Hebrew has such a word for a woman whose children have all died. She expects to grieve for her lost children for the rest of her life. Zion is described as such a woman in this passage. 

In order to illustrate the overwhelming return of the children Zion thought were dead, Isaiah (two electric boogaloo) describes a tiny snapshot of what a room suddenly filled with children would sound like. "There isn't room for me move over so I can sit." 

Songs of Volozhin

In around 2021, when I first got my hands on a copy of Abraham Zvi Idelson's Thesaurus of Jewish Music, I noticed a few melodies in the volume on Eastern European Jewish Folk music that were attributed to Volozhin. As I was studying in Yeshiva at the time, this of course piqued my interest. Many yeshivas are proud of their musical herritage, but few melodies seem to reliably originate in Volozhin. Beneath these melodies in Idelson's thesaurus, I noticed the citation Reshumoth V. 

What was Reshumot?  

Following WWI, Chaim Nachman Bialik, Alter Druyanov, and Yehoshua Chana Ravnitzky created a journal for Jewish enthnographic study, which they called Reshumot. Over the course of the 1920s they published at least six volumes. (After the creation of the state of Israel, the Reshumot journal was revived under a new generation of ethnographic and folklore scholars.)

In volume five of Reshumot, published in 1927, there is an article by Yitzchak Rivkind titled "From the Collections of the Volozhiner." This article has two parts, the first describes the closure of the Volozhin Yeshiva and theater art that was created in response to the closure. The second part is about the Songs of Volozhin. It contains four music scores of songs that were sung in the yeshiva along with some background information. 

The first song in this article is a tune for Chasal Siddur Pesach. The commentary describes how it was a regular practice for the Rosh Yeshiva to host yeshiva students at his house for the Pesach Seder. This version of Chasal Siddur Pesach was sung at these sedarim and it was very popular among the members of the Yeshiva. The author, Yitzchak Rivkind, believed that Rav Itzele Volozhiner either composed the tune or at least adapted the tune for Chasal Siddur Pesach. 

The second song is called Al Tirah Yisrael. It is an original song for which both the tune and the words were written by Rav Itzele Volozhiner. Rivkind suspects that he wrote this song after advocating for the Yeshiva to the Russian government. The song itself tells the Jewish people not to be afraid because of their vulnerable position as a persecuted minority. Instead they should celebrate the Torah and rely upon God. 

There are two more songs at the end of the article that have no commentary associated with them. One of them is called Gut Yom Tov, and is a tune with a repeating refrain of "gut yom tov." The last song is titled The Volozhiner Dance. 

I have scanned the portion of the article on the songs of Volozhin. 

Yitzchak Rivkind, "From the Collections of Volozhin: The Songs of Volozhin," Reshumot vol. 5 (1927): 376–382.

I have also transcribed the four scores and uploaded them to musescore. 

https://musescore.com/user/81422653/sets/12656116

I want to try to do more of these music transcriptions at some point in the future. There are a fair amount of hard to find collections of religious Jewish folk music that might benefit from this transcription. 

The Golem as a Medium of Self-Defense

In the obscure corners of the internet that I frequent there has been some discussion about the golem as a story about self-defense in the context of recent Israeli military actions. Though it is understood that the self-defense angle is a modern addition to the story, I was kind of curious about how and when that element of the story developed. 

The earliest written version of the golem story is from a 17th century autograph kabbalistic text called יסודי תורת משה and remains unpublished. The short story, as translated by Moshe Idel in his book Golem: Jewish Magical and Mystical Traditions on the Artificial Anthropoid, reads as follows:

And I have heard, in a certain and explicit way, from several respectable persons that one man, [living] close to our time, in the holy community of Helm, whose name is R. Eliyahu, the master of the name, who made a creature out of matter [Golem] and form [ẓurah] and it performed hard work for him, for a long period, and the name of 'emet was hanging upon his neck, until he finally removed for a certain reason, the name from his neck and it turned to dust.

Later retellings of this story would add a specific justification for why Rav Eliyahu Baal Shem of Chelm deactivated his golem. Rav Yaakov Emden, a descendant of Rav Eliyahu, in שאילת יעב"ץ ב:פ"ב explained that the golem slowly grew and Rav Eliyahu deactivated it out of a fear that it would destroy the world. This becomes the core of later more elaborate versions of the story. In which a rabbi creates a golem and the golem becomes a threat to the community or the wider world. 

In the earliest versions of the Maharal of Prague's golem, the Maharal creates a golem which he uses to help him with chores. When the Maharal forgets to deactivate the golem before Shabbat, the golem begins to go rougue and damages property. Then the Maharal deactivates the golem and hides the golem's body away. 

The story of the Maharal's golem is a historically romantic folktale that exists in the context of other romantic literature in the 19th century. These other romantic short stories and novels play with the idea of a golem or golem-like being developing feelings as an individual character. Most famously, there's Frankenstein's monster, but there are versions of this story that are specific to the golem. Rudolf Lother's short story The Golem of Rabbi Loeb, which was published in english translation in the Menorah magazine, portrays the golem as the manifestation of Eleazar's love for his reluctantly bethrothed Esther. (See Part 1, Part 2, Part 3); (Also see Eden Dekel and David Gantt Gurley, "How the Golem Came to Prague," in Jewish Quarterly Review, Vol. 103, No. 2 (Spring 2013): 241–238.)

None of these stories contain any events in which the golem becomes the protector of the Jewish communtiy. Yet somehow, in the 1920 film The Golem: How He Came into the World, the golem is specifically created to protect the Jewish community of Prague. 

In the narrative of the film, the emperor sends a decree to expell the Jews from Prague since they have been accussed of killing Christ and oppressing the Christian residents of the city. In response, the Maharal creates the golem. For a bit the Maharal tests the golem's abilities by having him aid in household chores. The Maharal and his golem soon set out to meet with the emperor during a festival and somehow convince him to repeal the decree. 

Upon arriving at the festival, the emperor asks the Maharal to entertain the crowd with one of his magic tricks. The Maharal offers to show a moving picture of Jewish history, but warns that if the audience laughs at all there will be dangerous consequences. This stipulation is a trap. The Maharal projects the image of a caravan of middle eastern nomads, one particularly wizzened man looks to the audience and declares that he is Ahasuerus the wandering Jew. The audience bursts out laughing. With the pretext, the Maharal causes the roof of the banquet hall to begin collapsing. Some people get crushed in the rubble, while others jump out of the windows to their deaths. In desparation the emporer offers to repeal his decree against the Jews if the Maharal saves him. Immediately, the Maharal orders the golem hold up the collapsing roof, saving the emperor and the others who haven't been crushed yet. 

Using the literary motifs of the romantic versions of the golem story, the movie translates the increasing power of the golem into the golem distancing itself from its creator and becoming more human. It is this emotional development of the golem that eventually leads it to kidnap the Maharal's daughter Miriam and accidentally set the ghetto on fire. 

The golem movie seems to have greatly popularized the self-defense element of the golem story. Almost all of the versions of the story that follow contain some element of Jewish community self-defense in the golem story. This element of community protection becomes integral to the comic book super heros that were based on the golem. 

The golem movie did not orginate the self-defense motif in the golem story. I was able to locate one published version of the golem story contianing a narrative of communal self-defense. It's likely there are a few more that pre-date the 1920 golem movie, but I have not been able to locate them. 

In 1897, the Jewish Publication Society produced a small book of Jewish folktales by Henry Iliowizi called In The Pale. One of the stories in this book is titled The Baal Shem and His Golem. Although the title seems to make it fit right into the tradition of previous golem stories, almost everything contained within it is a departure from the traditional golem story. 

This is the plot summary: 

Payutin, the recently appointed magistrate of Karolin, falls in love with Mayor Pozanow’s daughter Tilka. The couple, holding deeply antisemitic beliefs, recruit Russian Orthodox Father Shapirow, the son of a Jewish convert, to convince Mayor Pozanow to target the Karolin Hassidim. Mayor Pozanow instructs the Karolin fire brigade to respond to any loud festive noise created by the Hassidim worshiping as if it was a call of emergency, and then charge the Hassidim with disorderly conduct and fine them for the cost of the false alarm. 

Rav Aarele Baal Shem of Karolin instructs his Hassidim to ignore the new policy and continue worshiping as usual. Then, he enlists the help of the local Jewish blacksmith Pulasky to create a golem. After spiritually cleansing himself, Pulasky studies the divine names with Rav Aarele and summons a divine workforce to staff his workshop all night. When the sun rises, Pulasky and his spirit team have created a fire breathing iron monster. On the day of Payutin and Tilka’s wedding, Rav Aarele sent the iron golem to attack the wedding. The golem killed all the people at the wedding and destroyed the mayor’s house.

That's the story, its just the Jews lived happily ever after and defeated their enemies. There's no part where the golem turns on the Jewish community. In fact the story stresses "Not a Jewish house was damaged; not a Jewish body hurt." 

Although the story refers to Rav Aarele's creation as a golem, the creature is quite different from the traditional golem. In the underlying mystical reasoning for the golem, it is necessary for the golem to created from clay just like God created humans from dirt. The golem is created in a human form. The fact that the golem appears on the outside to be almost human was intriguing to the romantic authors who sought to explore the similarly almost human mind contained within the golem. 

Rav Aarele's golem is neither made from clay nor formed to look like a human. This is how Rav Aarele describes the golem to the blacksmith Pulasky, 

. . . forge for me a horror of black iron. It shall be as awe-inspiring as Death, as terrible as the Plague, gigantic as the Anak who followed Noah's Ark through the waters of the deluge, implacable as Satan the Beast and Lilith the Harlot. Hissing serpents shall be its hair; its eyes shall glow like the fire of hell; from its mouth shall shoot forth a live dragon as tongue; its claws shall be like those of the tiger; and its tail a venomous hydra. The Golem's hands shall reach to the soles of its feet. Dress it in a garb of feathers as black as Abaddon. It shall stride forth with wings outspread, shall breathe fire and vomit flame; a hellish roar shall issue from its throat; and I shall cause it to move and act as a power possessed of reason and will.

This golem is as inhuman as possible. Iliowizi specifically rejects any of the romantic human weakness or instability of the traditional golem. Rav Aarele's golem is simply an agent of death that can only harm oppressors of the Jewish community. The reference to the safety of Jewish houses during the golem's rampage is a clear reference to the death of the Egyptian firstborn in the Exodus story. Iliowizi's golem is an idealized form of divine protection and defense. 

In creating this perfect divine agent of retribution, Iliowizi rejects the foundational message of earliest golem stories. Looking back to Rav Yaakov Emden's retelling of the story, the golem is inherently a growing threat to safety of the world. Later story tellers found different ways of expressing this threat. They all illustrated it with some harm befalling the Jewish community. While transforming the golem into an agent for community defense, Iliowizi sheds the fundamental message of all the golem stories. That a human cannot create a perfect creation.

Paul Wegener synthesized Iliowizi's golem of self-defense with human feeling golem of the romantic stories. He created a powerful message about the dangers of violent self-defense and how it can backfire. In doing so, he maintained foundational message of the limits of human achievement.

The archetype of Iliowizi's golem is still very present in the cultural imagination of the modern Jewish community. We tell ourselves that Rav Aarele's monster golem is attacking the bad guys, and everyone it kills deserves to die. We tell ourselves that no Jewish houses will be harmed by the golem. After all the golem we created has been ridden of human weakness and will only target our oppressors. 

Just because Iliowizi denies that the golem is a danger to the world, does not make it true. He simply gives us permission to pretend that the golem can maintain our communal defense forever without any consequences. Such a blind attitude will only lead us to severe consequences. 

Iliowizi's golem is a complete fantasy, whether or not he intended it to be read as such, that's what it is. An army is made up of people, not divine mechanical monsters. Unlike divine mechanical monsters, people are immoral. There is no such thing as a moral army, let alone a 'most moral army in the world.'  

YU's Non-Academic Properties in Washington Heights

Yeshiva University as an educational institution has owned real estate for well over a century. From its origins as the parochial elementary school, Yeshivas Etz Chaim, it has owned the property from which it operated since at least 1890. YU's primary founding school, Yeshivas Rabbenu Yitzchak Elchanan first sought to own its building in 1904. 

YU students are well aware of the academic and dormitory properties that YU owns. Students visit many of these buildings daily and develop an intimate knowledge of their layouts and functions. 

YU also has maps of its campuses which list academic buildings, dormitories, and parking lots. 

Like other universities YU has invested in real estate. Sometimes the land holdings can be developed into more academic buildings or dormitories, sometimes the land holdings are investments that are intended to generate income. 

During the fallout of the 2008 financial crisis, YU linquidated its more valuable property assets in order to maintain cashflow and just keep the university running. The university has maintained ownership of several properties in Washington Heights. Many of these properties were purchased within the past few decades, and many are also kept under holding companies that are owned by YU. 

Occupied in Use:

2498 Amsterdam Avenue

Property Information Portal Profile  

YU purchased this tenement building in 2007 under the name of the 2948 Amsterdam Avenue LLC. It has both commercial and residential tenants. The department of buildings reports that there are 3 residential units in the building. 

Annual Income as reported on 990 tax forms:

• 2023 - $44,370
• 2022 - $54,178
• 2021 - $60,930
• 2020 - $59,219
• 2019 - $56,687
• 2018 - $55,933
• 2017 - $50,544
• 2016 - $56,377

2479 Amsterdam Avenue

Property Information Portal Profile

YU purchased this garage in 2007 under the name 2479 Amsterdam Avenue LLC, and leases it to Icon parking to operate as a commercial parking garage.  

Annual Income as reported on 990 tax forms:

• 2023 - $442,813
• 2022 - $484,197
• 2021 - $376,341
• 2020 - $482,879
• 2019 - $564,959
• 2018 - $609,590
• 2017 - $539,325
• 2016 - $524,496

Both 2479 Amsterdam Ave and 2498 Amsterdam Avenue were purchased together from the estate of Michael Parrino

24-36 Laurel Hill Terrace

Property Information Portal Profile

YU purchased this apartment building in 2007 from real estate developer Richard Parkoff.

Annual Income as reported on 990 tax forms:

• 2023 - $448,185
• 2022 - $507,276
• 2021 - $527,703
• 2020 - $648,715
• 2019 - $642,620
• 2018 - $608,541
• 2017 - $623,817
• 2016 - $655,701

The department of buildings reports 48 residential units in the building. Presently, YU leases the units to tenants 

Abandoned Buildings:

2496 Amsterdam Ave

Property Information Portal Profile

YU purchased this old factory building in 2005, and has kept it vacant since.

557 W 185th St

Property Information Portal Profile

YU purchased the property on Dec. 28, 1987 under the name 557 West 185th St Corp.

12 Washington Terrace

Property Information Portal Profile

YU purchased this house in 2006, from its resident homeowner. It is currently vacant. 

10 Washington Terrace

Property Information Portal Profile

YU purchased this property in 2006 from its resident homeowner. It is currently vacant.

Both 10 and 12 Washington Terrace have fences around stairs at the entrance to the house. The wooden porch awnings for both houses were removed. 

Empty Lots:

6 Washington Terrace

Property Information Portal Profile

YU purchased this house in 2001, and then demolished it in 2003, leaving the lot vacant to the present day.

2 Washington Terrace

Property Information Portal Profile  

YU purchased this house in 1984, under the alias of the CFIP Corp. YU seems to have left the building vacant, letting it decay until it demolished it in 2003.

13 Washington Terrace

Property Information Portal Profile

YU purchased this building in 1997 under the alias of the OBC Corp. They demolished it in 2003.

2506 Amsterdam Ave

Property Information Portal Profile

YU purchased the four story tenement house that used to stand here in 1967. They demolished it in 1995.    

2461 Amsterdam Ave

Property Information Portal Profile

YU purchased this property in 2007 under the name "2461 Amsterdam I LLC." They kept the building vacant of tenants and neglected to do any maintenance. In 2017 the roof collapsed into the upper stories of the buildings. YU finished demolishing the building in 2022, and the lot remains vacant at the present. 

See my article and other sources.

At some point I may make another post about YU's parking lots, many of which were previously occupied by buildings. 

Dos Vashingtoner Leben

 I have been scouring around for Jewish history in Washington, DC for a few years now. Which means that I’m always eager to locate primary source material produced by the Washington area’s Jewish community. The community of Eastern European immigrants that comprised most of the District’s Jewish community from the 1880s to 1920s definitely engaged with one another in Yiddish. The fairly small size of that community means that little of the material survives and is accessible in the present day. When I learned of the digitized 1921 Vashingtoner Yidishe Shtime on the National Library of Israel’s website, I assumed this was a rare and unique publication. After all, how many Yiddish newspapers were actually printed in the District, and how many of those would be saved in a library somewhere?

It turns out that the New York Public Library maintained a subscription of another short lived Washington Yiddish newspaper from 1911. This paper was called Dos Vashingtoner Leben (The Washington Life דאס וואשינגטאנער לעבען). I requested the microfilm of this paper at the Dorot Jewish Division and I was able to view it on August 22. I made sure to bring a flashdrive (that ancient technology) so I could save scans of the paper. I scanned all 22 issues of the paper contained on the reel. The paper began in August 1911 and its first two issues were published monthly, each being eight pages in length. In September 1911, the paper transitioned to be a four page weekly paper. The microfilm had all the issues of the paper from August 1911 until February 23, 1912 missing just one issue from the last week of November.

Header of the August 15, 1911 issue of Dos Vashingtoner Leben

I have only had time to briefly skim through this paper, but I noticed a few general details about it. The publishers and editors of the paper, Reuben Finkelstein and Alfred Klein were both college educated. In the first issue of the paper they ran advertisement for the “Capitol Ideal School” that they ran together. The school seems to have offered adult education to help people (presumably Jewish immigrants) navigate the US economy. In later issues of the paper, the Finkelstein and Klein individually advertised their services as financial bookeepers. The paper itself contains some local news, editorials, poetry, a serial novel, and plenty of ads for local Jewish businesses. In December 1911, the editors of the paper started circulating a petition to ecourage the Washington public library to create a Yiddish book collection. There are even some ads for Yiddish theater productions that traveled to the District. The paper seems to skew secular with more information from the Jewish Workers Circle than from any of the synagogues. This is in contrast to the later Washington Jewish Voice that was much more focused on the religious Jewish community.

Here are the issues that I scanned:

1-1 Aug. 15, 1911	1-2 Sept. 15, 1911	1-3 Sept. 29, 1911	1-4 Oct. 13, 1911
1-5 Oct. 20, 1911	1-6 Oct. 27, 1911	1-7 Nov. 3, 1911	1-8 Nov. 10, 1911
1-9 Nov. 17, 1911	1-11 Dec. 1, 1911	1-12 Dec. 8, 1911	1-13 Dec. 15, 1911
1-14 Dec. 22, 1911	1-15 Dec. 29, 1911	1-16 Jan. 5, 1912	1-17 Jan. 12, 1912
1-18 Jan. 19, 1912	1-19 Jan. 26, 1912	1-20 Feb. 2, 1912	1-21 Feb. 9, 1912
1-22 Feb. 16, 1912	1-23 Feb. 23, 1912

Bibliography of Early RIETS History 1897 - 1915

This is an index of references to the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary in the New York Yiddish press that was digitzed and made available to the public by the National Library of Israel. Yiddish dominates this collection of primary sources as news and other novel public discourse about the Yeshiva was conducted in Yiddish, the dominant language of the community the Yeshiva served. A few of the sources are in Hebrew or in English, and they are included since they were sources of novel information about the Yeshiva. There is some English language reporting about the Yeshiva, but it generally begins to appear in 1906 and is less directly familiar with the happenings of the Yeshiva. There is still value in English langauge reporting on the Yeshiva during this time as it can provide insight into the perseption of the Yeshiva in more Americanized communities. Nevertheless, this "bibliography" is focusing on the much more numerous collection of Yiddish reporting on the Yeshiva. For some academic writing and a few more primary sources that I could not find on my own, I recommend Gilbert Klaperman's book on the History of Yeshiva University as well as his doctoral dissertation on the subject that preceded his book. 

“Lo yamushu mipikha umipi zar’ekha,” Daily Jewish Herald (New York, NY), January 29, 1897. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dth/1897/01/29/01/article/15 [tells us about the first meeting of the women’s branch including info about the mission of the school: Torah, Haskalah, Derekh Eretz, and Yir’at Shamayim.]

“Public View,” ha-ivri (New York, NY), Sept 17, 1897. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/hebrew/1897/09/17/01/article/2 [person mentions that RIETS has recently formed, currently 10 students in the Beth Tefilath Yisrael shul 44 E. Bwy, they have an English teacher, looking for people to donate to help support their room, board, and clothes.]

“Great Announcement,” Daily Jewish Herald (New York, NY), July 1, 1898. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dth/1898/07/01/01/article/12 [RIETS announces that they are sending out a fundraiser to travel across the country for the Yeshiva, asks people to donate to the Yeshiva. Signed by leadership of the Kollel and Rabbi Yaakov Yosef.]

Chaim Vidrevitz, “Announcement and Canceling of ‘Great Announcement,’” Daily Jewish Herald (New York, NY), July 7, 1898. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dth/1898/07/07/01/article/18 [Vidervitz claims to speak on the behalf of the Roshei Yeshiva who felt it improper for the Yeshiva to fundraise outside of NYC, protests the Yeshiva sending fundraisers out of state.]

H. Bramson, “The Future of Judaism,” Jewish Gazette (New York, NY), June 29, 1900. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/jewishgazette/1900/06/29/01/article/21 [Long statement from President of the Yeshiva defending its need in American Jewish community and asking people donate. Describes a system of merging Torah and Chochma, records a student population of 18.]

Budget of RIETS for Fiscal Year 1902, The Jewish World (New York, NY), Aug. 22, 1902. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dywt/1902/08/22/01/article/14 

David Abramowitz, “yeshivas r’ yitskhok elkhonon d’po nyuyork,” The Jewish World (New York, NY), August 26, 1902. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dywt/1902/08/26/01/article/16.3 [record of the winners of the election for the officers of the yeshiva, posted by the secretary of the board of RIETS.]

David Abramowitz, “Yeshivas Rabbi Yizchok Elchonon of New York,” The Jewish World (New York, NY), Sept. 22, 1902. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dywt/1902/09/22/01/article/21.4 [Announcement of meeting to install the new officers for that year.]

David Abramowitz, “kol koyreh le’ezra,” The Jewish World (New York, NY), December 23, 1902. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dywt/1902/12/23/01/article/7 [appeal for the yeshiva, mentions four secular studies teachers on staff.]

David Abramowitz, “a besura toyvah fir di yeshivas rebbe yitskhok elkhonon d’nuyork,” The Jewish World (New York, NY), February 13, 1903. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dywt/1903/02/13/01/article/22  

David Abramowitz, “kol koreh l’ezra mi’gabbai u’menahalei yeshivas rabbi yitzchak elchanan de’nu york,” Jewish World, Sept. 13, 1903. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dywt/1903/09/13/01/article/26 [appeal from the board of the Yeshiva to donate during the high holiday season.]

D.M. Hermalin, “Yeshivos in America; Two Important Talmud-Universities,” The Jewish World (New York, NY), November 15, 1903. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dywt/1903/11/15/01/article/24 

D.M. Hermalin, “The Yeshivos; The Opinions of Two Students at the Yeshivas Rabbi Yizchok Elchonon,” The Jewish World (New York, NY), November 17, 1903. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dywt/1903/11/17/01/article/22 [the perspective of two student at Yeshivas R’ Yitzchak Elchonon.]

D. M. Hermalin, “The Yeshivos; The Curriculum and the General Conduct of the Yeshivas Rabbi Yizchok Elchonon,” The Jewish World (New York, NY), November 19, 1903. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dywt/1903/11/19/01/article/16 [describes the curriculum of RIETS, general column about different Yeshivot.]

D. M. Hermalin, “The Yeshivos; The Visit to Etz Chaim and the General Education of the Yeshiva,” The Jewish World (New York, NY), Nov. 22, 1903. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dywt/1903/11/22/01/article/26 

D. M. Hermalin, “The Yeshivos; Teaching Without a Goal or Without a Purpose in America is a Very Tragic Profession,” The Jewish World (New York, NY), Nov. 25, 1903. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dywt/1903/11/25/01/article/26 

D. M. Hermalin, “The Yeshivos; The Visit to the Yeshivas Rabbi Yaakov Yosef Was Very Interesting,” The Jewish World (New York, NY), Nov. 27, 1903. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dywt/1903/11/27/01/article/18  

“hodo’oh mi’yeshivas rabbeinu yitzchok Elchonon,” Jewish World (New York, NY), Dec. 8, 1903. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dywt/1903/12/08/01/article/17 [endorsement for the fundraisers that they are sending out.]

Hillel Klein, “Yeshivas rabbeinu yitzchok Elchonon,” Jewish World (New York, NY), Feb. 18, 1904. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dywt/1904/02/18/01/article/7 [appeal for funds to assist in acquiring new permanent building.]

Hillel Klein, “hoda’a geluya me’yeshivas rabbeinu yitzchak elchanan,” Jewish World (New York, NY), April 29, 1904. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dywt/1904/04/29/01/article/9 [endorsing the fundraisers that were sent out. Describes the yeshiva as educating students with chochma bina and mada, specifically secular knowledge.]

“asifat ha’rabbanim,” Jewish World (New York, NY), July 3, 1904. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dywt/1904/07/03/01/article/5 [convention of the Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the US and Canada in the RIETS building, 156 Henry St.]

“A Protest of the Students at Yeshivas R’ Yitzchak Elchanan,” Daily Jewish Herald (New York, NY), Feb. 24, 1905. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dth/1905/02/24/01/article/26 [letter to the editor from the striking students. They outline the needs for a standardized curriculum and advanced secular studies. Along with the internal conflicts in the Yeshiva over these reforms and cost cutting measures like withholding the stipends in favor of a community lunch for the students.]

“Chaim Stiller’s Tragic Death,” Daily Jewish Herald (New York, NY), Feb. 28, 1905. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dth/1905/02/28/01/article/3 [news article about a former RIETS student who died in snow peddling, blames RIETS admin for his death bc they withheld the students’ stipends.]

Hillel Yablonski, “About Yeshivas Rabbi Yitzhak Elchanan,” Daily Jewish Herald (New York, NY), March 3, 1905. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dth/1905/03/03/01/article/19 [letter to the editor from dues paying member of RIETS living in Reading Penn. He seems frustrated that the Yeshiva doesn’t seem to be fulfilling its advertised mission, with the student demanding standardized curriculums and consistent stipends.]

Benzion Beyl, “merkaz ha’mizrachi,” Daily Jewish Herald (New York, NY), March 26, 1905. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dth/1905/03/26/01/article/7 [announcement from the Mizrachi that Chaim-Shimon Neuhausn lectured on Zionism at RIETS.] 

Sampson Lederhendler, “The New York Yeshivath,” New Era Illustrated Magazine (New York, NY) March-April, 1905. https://www.google.com/books/edition/_/_XspAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=344 [English language article about RIETS curriculum and the recent strike. Also includes high quality images of the Yeshiva that will be used as stock photos of RIETS later.]

Yaakov David Ridvaz, “semichas gadol ha’dor le’echad mi’bachurei chemed mi’yeshivas r’ yitzchak elchanan, be’nuyork,” Daily Jewish Herald (New York, NY), April 4, 1905. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dth/1905/04/04/01/article/12 [congratulates an Aharon Yitzchak ben Moshe Menachem on his attaining of the Yoreh Yoreh and Yadin Yadin smicha from RIETS, praises him as an exceptional and talented scholar.]

“ha’ro’eh es ha’kol,” Daily Jewish Herald (New York, NY), April 9, 1905. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dth/1905/04/09/01/article/19 [letter to the editor praising the Herald for its coverage, signed by RIETS, unclear if it’s the students or the admin, requires further study.]

Bernard Leventhal, “yeshivas r’ yitzchak elchanan,” Daily Jewish Herald (New York, NY), April 10, 1905. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dth/1905/04/10/01/article/10.2 [leventhal appears to be defending the public image by affirming that the school is providing the stipends and English language education, probably in response to the students strike letter that was published a month earlier.]

“A Strike in a New Yorker Yeshiva,” Forward (New York, NY), April 28, 1905. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/frw/1905/04/28/01/article/16 [article summarizing the events of the student strike at RIETS.]

“Torah and Rags,” Daily Jewish Herald (New York, NY), May 25, 1905. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dth/1905/05/25/01/article/8 [article describing new fundraising method by collecting and selling rags to rags wholesalers. The Herald doesn’t think this befits the Yeshiva as a source of income.]

“Philadelphia Letters,” Daily Jewish Herald (New York, NY), May 30, 1905. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dth/1905/05/30/01/article/27 [graduate of RIETS Yisrael Leibendiger speaks at the kesher israel shul.]

“Yeshiva and Seminary,” Daily Jewish Herald (New York, NY), June 22, 1905. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dth/1905/06/22/01/article/4 [news article reports that talks have begun to merge RIETS and JTS.]

“A Strike in the Yeshiva,” The Warheit (New York, NY), Jan. 16, 1906. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dwt/1906/01/16/01/article/10 [short news article breaking the story of the student strike.]

“der strayk in yeshivas rebbe yitskhok elkhonon,” The Warheit (New York, NY), January 17, 1906. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dwt/1906/01/17/01/article/9 

“Give the Yeshiva Student a More Worldly Education,” Daily Jewish News (New York, NY), Jan. 18, 1906. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1906/01/18/01/article/20 [editorial supporting the demands of the Yeshiva students.]

“di yeshiva far rabbonim,” Warheit (New York, NY), Jan. 20, 1906. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dwt/1906/01/20/01/article/65 [editorial supporting the striking students.]

“Yeshivas R’ Isaac Elchanan,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York, NY), Jan. 25, 1906. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1906/01/25/01/article/48 [ad inviting all dues paying members to a general meeting in the Yeshiva, Jan 28th.]

N. A. Adoyrs “Why Should the Rabbanim Not Educate in the Spirit of Rambam and Ibn Ezra,” Warheit (New York, NY), Jan. 28, 1906. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dwt/1906/01/28/01/article/46 [letter to the editor, seemingly from someone involved in the Yeshiva desiring to modernize the curriculum.]

S. Grinstein, “About ‘Yeshivas R’ Yitzchak Elchanan,’” Warheit (New York, NY), Feb. 3, 1906. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dwt/1906/02/03/01/article/48 [letter to the editor from a frustrated member who notes that the emergency board election meeting was held at 4pm during working hours, which meant the most of the membership could not attend and elect a more progressive board that the majority of the membership favored.]

Nachum Dan Baron, “Birkas Mazal Tov,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York, NY), May 2, 1906. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1906/05/02/01/article/27 [ad congratulating, graduate of RIETS, Nachman Ebin at attaining a seat in the Rabbinate in Scranton.]

“Announcement and Request From the Rabbis, Moshe Zevulun Margolis and Hillel ha-Kohen Dr. Klein, Heads of the Directors of Yeshivas Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan in New York,” Jewish Daily News (New York, NY), June 22, 1906. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1906/06/22/01/article/31.2 [Appeal from the leadership RIETS asking for money to support the Yeshiva.]

“Yeshivas Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan, 156 Henry Street, New York,” Jewish Daily News (New York, NY), July 24, 1906. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1906/07/24/01/article/12.4 [appeal for donations to support the Yeshiva.]

“3 Young Men Obtain Semicha,” Jewish Daily News (New York, NY), Nov. 5, 1906. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1906/11/05/01/article/19 [news article describing the graduation ceremony in the Kalvarier shul.]

David Abramowitz, “Yeshivas R’ Yitzchak Elchanan, 156 Henry Street, New York,” Jewish Daily News (New York, NY), Nov. 21, 1906. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1906/11/21/01/article/6 [announcement of fundraisers being sent out, and urging the public to support the yeshiva.]

I. Cohen, “Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yizchok Elchonon in New York,” Espaklaria (Brooklyn, NY), Feb. 15, 1907. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/espac/1907/02/15/01/article/4 [A history of the Yeshiva written in honor of its tenth anniversary.]

[Advertisement] “The Second Issue of the Monthly Espaklaria Was Published,” Warheit (New York, NY), April 2, 1907. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dwt/1907/04/02/01/article/17 [this is just an ad for the journal in which the above article is in, but here the author of the article is identified as Y. Kaplan, unclear if this is a typo or his actual last name.]

“Major Meeting; To Improve Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yitzchak Elchanan New York,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York, NY), April 14, 1907. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1907/04/14/01/article/33 [meeting of the leaders of the Yeshiva to brainstorm reforms to the Yeshiva.]

“rabbonim halten op a konvenshon,” Forward (New York, NY), July 15, 1907. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/frw/1907/07/15/01/article/31 [disturbance in Union of Orthodox Rabbis convention in the RIETS building.]

“yeshivas rav yitzchak elchanan bet hilfe,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York, NY), July 15, 1907. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1907/07/15/01/article/18 [appeal for funds to close the large deficit in the budget.]

“a gevald geshrey,” Jewish Daily News (New York, NY), July 18, 1907. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1907/07/18/01/article/16 [union of Orthodox Rabbis of US and Canada appeals for funds for RIETS to help it cover its deficit to pay off the mortgage.]

“The Crisis in the Yeshivas Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan,” Jewish Daily News (New York, NY), July 19, 1907. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1907/07/19/01/article/21 [news article describing the financial crisis in the yeshiva.]

Y. Chaimowitz, “Letter to the Editor,” Warheit (New York, NY), July 22, 1907. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dwt/1907/07/22/01/article/45 [letter about the convention of Union of Orthodox Rabbis at RIETS.]

David Abramowitz, “Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yitzchak Elchanan, 156 Henry St,” Jewish Daily News (New York, NY), July 24, 1907. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1907/07/24/01/article/24 [list of donations collected for the yeshiva’s emergency campaign to cover the mortgage.]

“Kol Korei be’ko’ach; me’eis agudas ha’rabbanim ha’ortodoksim be’amerika ve’kanada,” The Nation (New York, NY), July 25, 1907. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/haleom/1907/07/25/01/article/4 [letter from the Union of Orthodox Rabbis appealing for funds for the Yeshiva.]

David Abramowitz, “Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yitzchak Elchanan 156 Henry Street, New York,” Jewish Daily News (New York, NY), July 30, 1907. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1907/07/30/01/article/32 [list of more donations to emergency mortgage fund.]

David Abramowitz, “Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yitzchak Elchanan, 156 Henry St., New York,” Jewish Daily News (New York, NY), Aug. 9, 1907. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1907/08/09/01/article/25 [list more further donations.]

David Abramowitz, “Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yitzchak Elchanan, 156 Henry St., New York,” Jewish Daily News (New York, NY), Aug. 27, 1907. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1907/08/27/01/article/23 [further donations to the emergency fund.]

David Abramowitz, “Yeshivas R’ Yitzchak Elchanan, 156 Henry Street, New York,” Jewish Daily News (New York, NY), Sept. 16, 1907. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1907/09/16/01/article/13.1 [further donations listed.]

David Abramowitz, “Yeshivas R’ Yitzchak Elchanan, 156 Henry Street, New York,” Jewish Daily News (New York, NY), Oct. 4, 1907. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1907/10/04/01/article/20 [announcement of general meeting of dues paying members.]

“Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yitzchak Elchanan,” Jewish Daily News (New York, NY), March 20, 1908. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1908/03/20/01/article/35.2 [announcement of yarzeit ceremony for Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan Spector at the Kehilath Yeshurun cong.] 

“An Appeal From the Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yitzchak Elchanan 156 Henry Street New York,” Jewish Daily News (New York, NY), April 26, 1908. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1908/04/26/01/article/39 [Appeal for more funds. Along with announcement for a meeting to form a special advisory committee.]

“Strike in Yeshivas R’ Yitzchak Elchanan,” Jewish Daily News (New York, NY), May 4, 1908. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1908/05/04/01/article/3 

“Lockout of Yeshiva Students,” Warheit (New York, NY), May 5, 1908. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dwt/1908/05/05/01/article/6 

“Yeshiva Students Want New Directors,” Jewish Daily News (New York, NY), May 5, 1908. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1908/05/05/01/article/9 

“__obl in yeshiva,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York, NY), May 6, 1908. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1908/05/06/01/article/31 [editorial, first column of text is damaged.]

“Rabbis who are students at the Yeshiva will Speak Tomorrow,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York, NY), May 8, 1908. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1908/05/08/01/article/52 

“Future Rabbis on Strike,” Freie Arbeiter Stimme (New York, NY), May 9, 1908. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/freiearb/1908/05/09/01/article/4 

“yeshivas r’ yitzchak elchanan vert univerzitet fir rabbonim,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York, NY), May 14, 1908. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1908/05/14/01/article/2 

“Rabbis Deliberate Over Yeshivas Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York, NY), May 15, 1908. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1908/05/15/01/article/8 

“The New Order at the Yeshivas R’ Yitzchak Elchanan,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York, NY), May 15, 1908. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1908/05/15/01/article/29 

“Rabbis Conference About the Yeshiva,” Jewish Daily News (New York, NY), May 15, 1908. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1908/05/15/01/article/37 

“The Eternal Jewish Rift,” Warheit (New York, NY), May 16, 1908. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dwt/1908/05/16/01/article/40 [editorial about the public’s reaction to the REITS strike.]

“A Rosh Yeshiva for Yeshivas R’ Yitzchak Elchanan,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York, NY), May 19, 1908. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1908/05/19/01/article/54 [board of RIETS is looking for a Rosh Yeshiva who is educated in both Torah and Haskalah.]

“A Student from Yeshivas R’ Yitzhak Elchanan,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York, NY), May 19, 1908. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1908/05/19/01/article/68 [letter from Dovber Abramowitz to Nachum Dan complimenting him on the quality of the RIETS graduate, Avraham Shmuel Broide, who was hired as a rabbi in St. Louis. Likely published by RIETS to be positive PR.]

“Blessing of Mazal Tov from Yeshivas R Yitzhak Elchanan,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York, NY), May 25, 1908. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1908/05/25/01/article/50 [mazal tov from Nachum Dan to Shmuel Tzvi Glick graduate of RIETS who got a rabbinic position in Lin Mas.]

“Adas Bnei Yisrael Announcement,” Jewish Daily News (New York, NY), May 29, 1908. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1908/05/29/01/article/16 [Ben Zion Perl is mentioned as “Harav” seems to have already attained smicha, is giving a shiur on pirkei avos at the Adas Israel synagogue.]

“Rabbi Leventhal is Head of Yeshivas Rabbi Yitzhak Elchanan,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York, NY), June 23, 1908. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1908/06/23/01/article/2 [mentions that he is President of the Faculty and not Rosh Yeshiva, and will start his term after the high holidays when the next term begins.]

“They Don’t Want to Lose Rabbi Leventhal,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York, NY), June 24, 1908. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1908/06/24/01/article/63 [the Philadelphia jewish community does not want rabbi Leventhal to leave then to work in New York.]

“Resolution of the Agudas Harabbanim,” Jewish Daily News (New York, NY), July 31, 1908. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1908/07/31/01/article/35 [rabbis resolve that RIETS is their best hope for creating a sustainable orthodox rabbinate in America, so they pledge their support to the school.]

“The Closure of Yeshivas R’ Yitzchak Elchanan,” The Warheit (New York, NY), Aug. 21, 1908. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dwt/1908/08/21/01/article/41

 

“Yeshivas R’ Yitzchak Elchanan is Closed,” The Jewish Morning Journal (New York), Aug. 21, 1908. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1908/08/21/01/article/68 

“Yeshivas R’ Yitzchak Elchanan,” Jewish Daily News (New York), Aug. 23, 1908. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1908/08/23/01/article/15 [editorial about the closure of the school.]

“Rabbi Leventhal Calls a Fast,” The Warheit (New York), Aug. 24, 1908. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dwt/1908/08/24/01/article/43 [Pres. of school Leventhal is called out by the paper for closing the yeshiva and not taking care of the students, discourages donations bc he will just use it to call the police to expel students.]

“The Truth [Warheit] Sickens Him,” The Warheit (New York), Aug. 25, 1908. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dwt/1908/08/25/01/article/4 [warheit continues to bash the pres of RIETS after he apparently called them out in a board meeting.]

“Support Yeshivas R’ Yitzchak Elchanan,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York), Aug. 26, 1908. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1908/08/26/01/article/64 [letter from Isaac Levy from Washington DC pledging $10 to help reopen the yeshiva, bc its important for American jewry to have an school that teachers Torah and Chochmah.] 

A Goldsmidt [letter to the editor], “The Closed Yeshiva,” The Warheit (New York), Aug. 27, 1908. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dwt/1908/08/27/01/article/46 [Goldsmidt is from Passaic NJ and considers RIETS to be hypocritical and backwards bc it won’t offer a modern education and its president Rabbi Leventhal sent his son to JTS.]

“Wanting to Found a New Yeshiva,” Jewish Daily News (New York), Aug. 28, 1908. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1908/08/28/01/article/34 [record of the meeting in Adas Israel to create the Yeshiva L’Rabbanim.]

“One Rabbinical School, Two or None,” Jewish Daily News (New York), Aug. 30, 1908. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1908/08/30/01/article/12 [editorial on the issues of the closure of RIETS and the Yeshiva L’Rabbanim.]

“The Yeshiva to Open Again,” Jewish Daily News (New York), Sept. 1, 1908. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1908/09/01/01/article/29 [Directors of the Yeshiva meet to create a plan to reopen RIETS, form committee to work out the finances, another committee to work out a better curriculum and a press committee to repair the school’s public image.]

“Not Two Yeshivas, Only One,” The Warheit (New York), Sept. 2, 1908. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dwt/1908/09/02/01/article/61 [letter from the students of Yeshiva l’Rabbanim trying to garner support for themselves as the future Orthodox Yeshiva.]

“Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Says Nothing,” Jewish Daily News (New York), Sept. 3, 1908. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1908/09/03/01/article/16 [Editorial about poor reporting in the New York Press that completely misunderstood the crisis in the Yeshiva, claiming that the Principal Rabbi Isaac Elchanan himself was silent on the matter. The editor jokes, that was only true thing the report said.]

“Troubles From the Grave of Rabbi Isaac Elchanan,” The Warheit (New York), Sept. 7, 1908. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dwt/1908/09/07/01/article/24 [Warheit is not impressed RIETS’ attempt to fundraise during the high holidays using the memory of Rabbi Spektor, advises its readers to support the Yeshiva l’Rabbanim.]

“An Appeal,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York), Sept. 13, 1908. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1908/09/13/01/article/31 [letter appealing for funds and applicants to help restart and repopulate the Yeshiva, signed by all the important people associated with the Yeshiva at the time.]

[Letter to the Editor], “How the Old Yeshiva Was ‘Reorganized,’” The Warheit (New York), Sept. 15, 1908. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dwt/1908/09/15/01/article/53 [students of Yeshiva l’Rabbanim express their skepticism that RIETS was really reorganized, the are certain that it will suffer the same problems that it always had.]

[Advertisement] “Nominations of Directors in Yeshivas R’ Yitzchak Elchanan,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York), Sept. 18. 1908. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1908/09/18/01/article/52 [Members of the Yeshiva are invited to come on Sun. Sept. 20 to nominate new members for the board.]

[Ad] “Nominations of Directors,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York), Sept. 20, 1908. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1908/09/20/01/article/42 

[Ad] “Nominations of Directors,” Jewish Daily News (New York), Sept. 20, 1908. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1908/09/20/01/article/52.2 

“Announcement from Yeshivas R’ Yitzchak Elchanan,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York), Sept. 28, 1908. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1908/09/28/01/article/67 

“Contributions and Work for the Yeshiva,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York), Oct. 8, 1908. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1908/10/08/01/article/28 

[Ad] “Election,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York), Oct. 9, 1908. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1908/10/09/01/article/31 [election for board of directors to be held Tues Oct 13 second day of chol hamoed sukkos at 6pm.]

[Ad] “Election,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York), Oct. 12, 1908. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1908/10/12/01/article/45 

[Ad] “Election,” Jewish Daily News (New York), Oct. 12, 1908. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1908/10/12/01/article/39.2 

[Ad] “Election Today,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York), Oct. 13, 1908. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1908/10/13/01/article/54 

“New Directors at Yeshivas Rabbi Isaac Elchanan,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York, NY), Oct. 15, 1908. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1908/10/15/01/article/33 [Chaim Dolinsky is mentioned among the new board of directors, which also includes a Meyer London.]

“New Directors at RIETS,” Jewish Daily News (New York), Oct. 15, 1908. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1908/10/15/01/article/31 

[Obituary] “Shamai Rosenthal,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York), Nov. 27, 1908. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1908/11/27/01/article/41 [Was a director of RIETS]

“In the Jewish Media,” The Canadian Eagle (Montreal), Dec. 10, 1908. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/canadaeagle/1908/12/10/01/article/22 [quotes the Jewish Morning Journal as being very pleased with the current state of RIETS, not as modern as JTS but not as traditional as a European Yeshiva.]

“Meetings and Lectures,” Jewish Daily News (New York), Jan. 8, 1909. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1909/01/08/01/article/61 [student of RIETS, Mordechai Kaplan will lecture, all are welcome.]

“Meetings and Lectures,” Jewish Daily News (New York), Jan. 22, 1909. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1909/01/22/01/article/33 [Chaim Reuvein Rabinowitz, student of the yeshiva, will lecture.]

“The Two Yeshivas,” Jewish Daily News (New York), Jan. 24, 1909. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1909/01/24/01/article/32 [editorial praising the resurgence of RIETS and its repaired public image, as well as the up and coming Yeshiva l’Rabbanim that intends to teach traditional studies in addition to a full university education.]

“Communal Advertisements: Yeshivas R’ Yitzchak Elchanan,” Jewish Daily News (New York), Jan. 25, 1909. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1909/01/25/01/article/14 [RIETS thanks all the communities for all their donations in the recent collection effort from the fundraiser, Yisrael Litvin.]

Ephraim Kaplan, “Who Saves It, and Where Does One Save Judaism,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York), Jan. 28, 1909. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1909/01/28/01/article/40 [article discusses hebrew school education, mentions one teacher, Samuel Cohen, as a student at RIETS who is a good Hebraist.]

“$886 for Yeshivas R’ Yitzchak Elchanan,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York), Feb. 2, 1909. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1909/02/02/01/article/16 [lists the larger contributions to the fund that will pay off the school’s debts.]

“More Donations for Yeshivas Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan,” Jewish Daily News (New York), Feb. 14, 1909. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1909/02/14/01/article/49 

“Meetings and Lectures,” Jewish Daily News (New York), Feb. 26, 1909. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1909/02/26/01/article/42 [student of RIETS, Shmuel Miller, will speak.]

“Mailbox,” Jewish Daily News (New York), March 7, 1909. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1909/03/07/01/article/40 [letter for H. Preisman, says RIETS is a good school to donate to, has 45 students.]

“Large Assembly of Ladies’ Branch of RIETS,” Jewish Daily News (New York), March 16, 1909. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1909/03/16/01/article/45 

“Celebration Today,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York), June 20, 1909. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1909/06/20/01/article/42 [big celebration for the Ladies’ Branch donation of three sets of Shas.]

“Ledger for all Israel: Yeshivas R’ Yitzchak Elchanan,” Jewish Daily News (New York), Oct. 31, 1909. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1909/10/31/01/article/94 [RIETS is sending out a new fundraiser, Yosef Levin, asks communities to be generous, is the old torah institution in the country.]

“A Rabbi for Bronx Talmud Torah,” Jewish Daily News (New York), Nov. 12, 1909. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1909/11/12/01/article/55 [Shmuel Zvi Glick of Linn, MA is appointed rabbi of Talmud Torah of Tremont, he is very educated and a graduate of RIETS.]

“Yeshivas R’ Yitzchak Elchanan,” Jewish Daily News (New York), Nov. 17, 1909. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1909/11/17/01/article/69 [updates from the Yeshiva on the fundraisers, announces that the old fundraiser, rabbi Litvin no longer works for the yeshiva.]

“Yeshivas R’ Yitzchak Elchanan,” Jewish Daily News (New York), Dec. 3, 1909. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1909/12/03/01/article/46 [updates on fundraisers.]

“Rabbi Levin, New Yorker [sic] Rabbi . . . Visits the Talmud Torah” The Canadian Eagle (Montreal), Dec. 19, 1909. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/canadaeagle/1909/12/19/01/article/21 [Yosef Dov Levin, the fundraiser for RIETS, visits and tests, and compliments the Montreal Talmud Torah, the paper confuses him as the Rabbi of New York, when he was likely the rabbi of Newark at the time.]

[Ad] “Answer to the Rabbis,” Jewish Daily News (New York), Feb. 13, 1910. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1910/02/13/01/article/45.1 [Yitzchak Rabinowitz advertises his kosher alcohol under the supervision of rabbi Yehuda David Bernstein of RIETS.]

[Ad] Yitzchak Rabinowitz, Jewish Daily Forward (New York), April 9, 1910. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/frw/1910/04/09/01/article/32.4 

“Announcement from Administration of Yeshivas R’ Yitzchak Elchanan,” Jewish Daily News (New York), May 13, 1910. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1910/05/13/01/article/29.2 [Call to fundraise for the Yeshiva, prime example of yeshiva backing off of the secular studies vision, no mention of derech eretz or chochma.]

“Yeshivas R’ Yitzchak Elchanan,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York), Aug. 4, 1910. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1910/08/04/01/article/12 [Shmuel Weil speaking Tuesday evening.]

“Yeshivas R’ Yitzchak Elchanan Makes Good Progress,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York), Aug. 12, 1910. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1910/08/12/01/article/44 [describes the administrative stability leading to progress and stable growth of the school.]

“Yeshivas Rabbenu Yitzchak Elchanan,” Jewish Daily News (New York), Oct. 11, 1910. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1910/10/11/01/article/50 [public call for donation from the leadership of the Yeshiva, proudly calls itself the only school that teaches Wissenschaft (Jewish studies), and English language.]

“Yeshivas Rabbenu Yitzchak Elchanan,” Jewish Daily News (New York), Oct. 12, 1910. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1910/10/12/01/article/48 [Same letter as above.]

“Yeshivas Rabbenu Yitzchak Elchanan,” Jewish Daily News (New York), Oct. 17, 1910. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1910/10/17/01/article/43 [Same letter as above.]

Oct. 20, 1910. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1910/10/20/01/article/41 [same as above]

Oct. 21, 1910. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1910/10/21/01/article/37 [same as above]

Oct. 23, 1910. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1910/10/23/01/article/28 [same as above]

[Obituary], “Rabbi Eliezer Hirschberg, Peace be upon him,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York), Nov. 8, 1910. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1910/11/08/01/article/69 [rosh yeshiva of RIETS found dead in the street on Ave C]

“Ladies Members of Yeshiva Rabbenu Yitzchak Elchanan General Meeting,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York), Nov. 29, 1910. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1910/11/29/01/article/66 

“The administration of Yeshivas Rabbenu Yitzchak Elchanan,” Jewish Daily News (New York), Nov. 29, 1910. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1910/11/29/01/article/50 [announcement of same meeting as above.]

“Gathering of American Orthodox Rabbis,” Jewish Daily News (New York), Jan. 17, 1911. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1911/01/17/01/article/48.2 [Agudath Harabbonim meet in the Yeshiva.]

Mordechai Kaplan, “Letter to the Editor: All the Newspapers . . .” Jewish Gazette (New York), Jan. 20, 1911. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/jewishgazette/1911/01/20/01/article/79 [argues that the death of rabbi golombok was tied to his participation in the RIETS strike and how his starvation affected his health.]

“Call to the Sages of Israel,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York), Jan. 22, 1911. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1911/01/22/01/article/19 [fire in the home of Rabbi Eliezer Alperstein has destroyed all his property, meeting for rabbis in RIETS to discuss how they can help him.] 

“Call to the Sages of Israel,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York), Jan. 23, 1911. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1911/01/23/01/article/14 [same as above]

“Union of All Three Yeshivos,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York), March 13, 1911. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1911/03/13/01/article/30 [discusses the work of committees attempting to unify the Yeshivas.]

“The Hidden Man,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York), March 30, 1911. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1911/03/30/01/article/30 [lists charitable orgs that subscribers of the morning journal can send money to through their subscription.]

“Mr. David Cohen Peace be Upon him,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York), April 21, 1911. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1911/04/21/01/article/4 [chairman of board of RIETS and large philanthropist of the orthodox community.]

“Mr. David Cohen brought to burial,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York), April 23, 1911. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1911/04/23/01/article/32 

“Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yitzchak Elchanan Must Have Support,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York), May 9, 1911. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1911/05/09/01/article/32 [yeshiva requesting financial support, sending mashgiach, Mahari Isaacson, Koidenover Rav.]

“Important Announcement,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York), May 19, 1911. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1911/05/19/01/article/55.4 [leadership of RIETS meets with Etz Chaim and Bikur Cholim Hospital of Jerusalem to coordinate fundraising.]

“Administrators of Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yitzchak Elchanan,” Jewish Daily News (New York), July 6, 1911. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1911/07/06/01/article/47 [sending Matisyahu tzvi klein to fundraise in the south.]

https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1911/07/07/01/article/51 July 7, 1911, same as above

“Important Day in the Gathering of Rabbis,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York), July 24, 1911. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1911/07/24/01/article/2 [chaim robinson, one of the directors of RIETS, asked if the students of RIETS should be allowed to go to college, the question was tabled and not resolved.]

“Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yitzchak Elchanan,” Jewish Daily News (New York), Sept. 3, 1911. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1911/09/03/01/article/45 [yeshiva calls out to shuls who don’t have regular rabbis to invite its students to work over the holidays and encourages enrollment of qualified boys.]

https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1911/09/04/01/article/42 Sept. 4, 1911, same as above.

https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1911/09/08/01/article/66 Sept. 8, 1911

https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1911/09/10/01/article/44 Sept 10, 1911

“Director David Abramowitz is Superintendent of Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yitzchak Elchanan,” Jewish Daily News (New York), Spet. 6, 1911. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1911/09/06/01/article/48.2 

“Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yitzchak Elchanan,” Jewish Daily News (New York), Sept. 11, 1911. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1911/09/11/01/article/41.4 [RIETS hosting high holidays services and selling seats to fundraise.]

https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1911/09/12/01/article/29 Sept. 12, 1911 same as above

https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1911/09/17/01/article/66.3 Sept. 17, 1911. 

[Ad] “113 St Shul of the Kahal Adas Yeshurun,” Jewish Daily News (new York), Sept. 21, 1911. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1911/09/21/01/article/45.4 [mentions Yaakov Epstein, graduate of RIETS to be speaking during one of the services.]

“Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yitzchak Elchanan,” Jewish Daily News (New York), Dec. 14, 1911. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1911/12/14/01/article/40 [committee of rabbis reviews the yeshiva and has good reviews of the knowledge of its students and their education, praises the faculty, Binyamin Aronowitz and Moshe Sobol.]

https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1911/12/15/01/article/29 Dec. 15, 1911, same as above

https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1911/12/17/01/article/71.3 Dec. 17, 1911

“Rav Velvele On Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yitzchak Elchanan,” Jewish Daily News (New York), Jan. 4, 1912. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1912/01/04/01/article/65 [Rav Gavriel Ze’ev Margolith of Adas Israel of New York reviewed the Yeshiva.]

https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1912/01/05/01/article/49 Jan 5, 1912, same as above.

Ephraim Kaplan, “The Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yitzchak Elchanan,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York), Jan. 8, 1912. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1912/01/08/01/article/25 [lengthy article praising the traditional learning maintained by the yeshiva.] 

“Yeshivas Rabbenu Yitzchak Elchanan,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York, NY), March 15, 1912. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1912/03/15/01/article/42 [Rav Federman of East New York will speak at the yeshiva on Shabbos, all are welcome.]

Mordechai A. Kaplan, “An Organization of Talmudists,” Yidisher Vekhter (Jewish Watchman) (New York, NY), April 1912. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/vechtab/1912/04/01/01/article/11 [advocates for an organization for orthodox jewish professionals to help them maintain their faith, notes that such a group already exists among the alumni of RIETS.]

“An Advanced Rabbinic School on the East Side,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York, NY), June 9, 1912. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1912/06/09/01/article/32 [etz chaim and riets reach an agreement to merge to create a high school and advanced yeshiva to train rabbis in high level general studies and rabbinic studies.]

“Announcement from Yeshivas Rabbenu Yitzchak Elchanan,” Jewish Daily News (New York, NY), July 7, 1912. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1912/07/07/01/article/35 [yeshiva is sending out Matisyahu klein to fundraise for RIETS.]

“Mazal Tov Blessing from Administration of Yeshivas Rabbenu Yitzchak Elchanan,” Jewish Daily News (New York, NY), July 28, 1912. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1912/07/28/01/article/34 [congratulating their graduate Moshe Nathan Taksan for obtaining a rabbinic position at Agudath Achim in Colombus Ohio.]

“Yeshivas Rabbenu Yitzchak Elchanan of New York Wishes a Complete Recovery to the Brisker Gaon,” Jewish Daily News (New York, NY), Aug. 8, 1912. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1912/08/08/01/article/48 

“Yeshivas Rabbenu Yitzchak Elchanan 165 Henry St,” Jewish Daily News (New York, NY), Aug. 14, 1912. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1912/08/14/01/article/48 [thanks shochetim from West Virginia for fundraising for the yeshiva.]

“Washington, D.C.,” Jewish Daily News (New York, NY), Dec. 23, 1912. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1912/12/23/01/article/34 [rav silverstone arranged for a donor to donate $25 dollars to RIETS.]

“Rabbenu Yitzchak Elchanan’s Yahrtzeit,” Jewish Daily News (New York, NY), March 27, 1913. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1913/03/27/01/article/41 [RIETS will commemorate his 17th yahrtzeit, the lower and middle classes will have a siyum on gittin, kiddushin, ketubot, nedarim.]

https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1913/03/28/01/article/28 March 28, 1913, same as above.

“Dr. Mendes’ Meeting Was Very Productive,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York, NY), June 30, 1913, https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1913/06/30/01/article/57 [proposal for union of orthodox congregation, will fund scholarship to JTS and RIETS.]

“Convention of Orthodox Jews, to Strenthen Judaism,” Jewish Daily News (New York, NY), July 4, 1913. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/jewishgazette/1913/07/04/01/article/61 [same convention as above.]

“Examination and Ordination in Yeshivas Rabbenu Yitzchak Elchanan,” Jewish Daily News (New York, NY), Sept. 14, 1913. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1913/09/14/01/article/33 [public test of all 55 students, and ordination of 5 graduating students.]

“New Epoch in Jewish Education,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York, NY), Oct. 7, 1913. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1913/10/07/01/article/33 [notes that the building for the uptown Talmud torah in west harlem was originally part of a failed plan to open an uptown branch of RIETS.]

“Announcement from Yeshivas Rabbenu Yitzchak Elchanan,” Jewish Daily News (New York, NY), Oct. 14, 1913. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1913/10/14/01/article/26 [informs orthodox congregations that its graduates are knowledgeable in torah and can lecture in both Yiddish and English.]

“Agudath Israel Emissaries in Yeshivas Rabbenu Yitzchak Elchanan,” Jewish Daily News (New York, NY), Dec. 24, 1913. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1913/12/24/01/article/31 [Meier Hildesheimer and Rav Volkin, visited were impressed with the knowledge of the students, praised it like Volozhin.]

“Vote for Directors,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York, NY), Jan. 22, 1914. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1914/01/22/01/article/56 [advert for all dues paying members to vote for the next board and to hear the accounting of finances of the school.]

“Lecture in Yeshivat Rabbenu Yitzchak Elchanan,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York, NY), Oct. 23, 1914. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1914/10/23/01/article/50 [Rabbi Aharon Burack, graduate of RIETS is lecturing in the yeshiva.]

[Political Endorsement], “New York 28 October 1914,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York, NY), Nov. 1, 1914. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1914/11/01/01/article/61.2 [riets rosh yeshiva benjamin aronowitz among several rabbis enforsing martin glynn.]

https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1914/11/01/01/article/23.1 [same as above but in Jewish Daily News.]

“Mazal Tov From Yeshivas Rabbenu Yitzchak Elchanan,” Jewish Daily News (New York, NY), Nov. 8, 1914. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1914/11/08/01/article/29.4

 

“In Yeshivas Rabbenu Yitzchak Elchanan,” Jewish Daily News (New York, NY), Nov. 13, 1914. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1914/11/13/01/article/48 [zvi karp student lecturing at riets.]

“In Yeshivas Rabbenu Yitzchak Elchanan,” Jewish Daily News (New York, NY), Nov. 20, 1914. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1914/11/20/01/article/42 [mordechai hirschprung lecturing at riets.]

“Lecture in Yeshivas Rabbenu Yitzchak Elchanan,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York, NY), Nov. 27, 1914. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1914/11/27/01/article/53 [yehudah hirschkowitz lecturing in riets.]

“In Yeshivas Rabbenu Yitzchak Elchanan,” Jewish Daily News (New York, NY), Dec. 11, 1914. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1914/12/11/01/article/51 [Meir Kaplan speaking at riets.]

Chaim Yechezkel Mosesson, “Jewish Institutions that Advertise in the Shabbos Newspaper,” Jewish Daily News (New York, NY), Dec. 22, 1914. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1914/12/22/01/article/57 [menahel of chaim berlin critizes riets for advertising in paper that prints on Shabbos.]

Ephraim Kaplan, “Yeshivas Rebbenu Yitzchak Elchanan and Yeshivas Etz Chaim,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York, NY), Jan. 24, 1915. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1915/01/24/01/article/23 [discussion of the promise for improvement this merger brings.]

Ephraim Kaplan, “The Union of the Two Yeshivos,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York, NY), Jan. 25, 1915. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1915/01/25/01/article/25

 

“The Two United Important Yeshivos,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York, NY), May 26, 1915. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1915/05/26/01/article/36

 

Shalom Rabinowtiz, “Jewish Education in America,” Warheit (New York, NY), May 28, 1915. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dwt/1915/05/28/01/article/37

 

“Fire in Yeshivas Rabbenu Yitzchak Elchanan,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York, NY), June 7, 1915. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1915/06/07/01/article/40 

“Fine Gifts from Fine Gentlemen for a Fine Purpose,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York, NY), June 12, 1915. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1915/06/12/01/article/36 [fundraising for new building for the joint school is complete.]

“The Cornerstone for an Orthodox Rabbinical Seminary,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York, NY), June 27, 1915. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1915/06/27/01/article/61 

“Today the Cornerstone of the Rabbis Yeshiva Was Laid,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York, NY), July 1, 1915. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1915/07/01/01/article/3 

A. Sofer, “The Rabbinic College and Its Leader,” Jewish Daily News (New York, NY), July 1, 1915. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1915/07/01/01/article/20 

“The Cornerstone of the Rabbinic Yeshiva is Laid with a Parade,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York, NY), July 2, 1915. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1915/07/02/01/article/30 

Meir Berlin, “A Seminary or a Yeshiva?” Jewish Morning Journal (New York, NY), July 19, 1915. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1915/07/19/01/article/26 

Raphael Goldberg, “About the Rabbanim Yeshiva [Letter to the Editor],” Jewish Morning Journal (New York, NY), July 22, 1915. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1915/07/22/01/article/16 

Ephraim Kaplan, “The Great Erasure of Torah,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York, NY), July 25, 1915. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1915/07/25/01/article/24 

“Kol Koreh for Yeshivas Rabbenu Yitzchak Elchanan,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York, NY), Sept. 22, 1915. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1915/09/22/01/article/64 

https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1915/09/28/01/article/28 Same as above but in Jewish Daily News, Sept. 28, 1915.

Ephraim Kaplan, “The Dream of Yeshivas Rabbenu Yitzchak Elchanan,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York, NY), Oct. 4, 1915. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1915/10/04/01/article/18 

“The Building Dedication of the Two United Yeshivos,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York, NY), Nov. 25, 1915. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1915/11/25/01/article/32 

“Building Dedication of Yeshivas Rabbenu Yitzchak Elchanan,” Jewish Daily News (New York, NY), Dec. 1, 1915. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1915/12/01/01/article/41 

“The Week of Celebrations,” Jewish Daily News (New York, NY), Dec. 5, 1915. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1915/12/05/01/article/38 [mentions the building dedication of riets.]

“The New New Yorker Yeshiva,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York, NY), Dec. 7, 1915. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1915/12/07/01/article/25 

[advert], “Official Invitation,” Jewish Morning Journal  (New York, NY), Dec. 8, 1915. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1915/12/08/01/article/65.1 [invitation to building dedication ceremony.]

“Memorials for the Deceased,” Jewish Morning Journal (New York, NY), Dec. 10, 1915. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/tjm/1915/12/10/01/article/14.1 

https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ytb/1915/12/10/01/article/40.1 [same as above from Jewish Daily News.]

Rabbi Dr. B. Revel, “Our Children and the Public School,” Jewish Gazette (New York, NY), Dec. 10, 1915. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/jewishgazette/1915/12/10/01/article/19 

“The Jewish Yeshiva in America,” Wolksadvocat (New York, NY), Dec. 24, 1915. https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/flkadv/1915/12/24/01/article/29