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.
“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.]
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.]
“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.]
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.]
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.]
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.]
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.]
“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.]
[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.]
“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.]
“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.]
“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.]
“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.]
“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.]
“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.]
[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.]
“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.]
“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.]
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.]
