#45 -- Religious Affiliation: None
Editorial
September 28, 2000
A glance at US News and World Report's annual rankings of the nation's best universities will reveal an ugly truth extant since 1967: Yeshiva claims no religious affiliation. Although the University boasts its status as the "oldest and most comprehensive educational institution under Jewish auspices in America," US News lists Yeshiva's religious affiliation as a shocking "none." Clearly, "under Jewish auspices" serves as code word for the lack of overt religious identification.
Similarly, in the continuing legal battle over Albert Einstein College of Medicine's refusal of housing privileges to homosexual couples, newspaper articles and legal briefs alike blame Yeshiva's non-sectarian standing for requiring its compliance with anti-discrimination laws.
These two high-priority reminders of Yeshiva's decision to sell its soul for federal funding more than thirty years ago should shake every member of the Yeshiva family's perception of their parent institution. Yeshiva cannot hope to be taken seriously in its quest to shape the policy and beliefs of Modern Orthodoxy if it remains merely "under Jewish auspices." Yeshiva cannot hope to define the ideal of Torah U'Madda if it sports the label "non-sectarian." Most importantly, Yeshiva cannot justify its very existence if it openly lists its religious affiliation as "none."
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