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 

Saw Bones - The Sabbath Visitor

For scientific purposes, I have collected all the correspondences of Saw Bones that I can find. 

October 1887 Letter From Saw Bones

January 1888 Letter From Saw Bones

 

February 1888 Letter From Saw Bones

March 1888 Letter From Saw Bones

June 1888 Letter From Saw Bones

September 1888 Letter From Saw Bones

October 1888 Letter From Saw Bones

November 1888 Letter From Saw Bones

Bibliography of Rabbi Julius T. Loeb's Writings

Rabbi Julius T. Loeb (Yehuda Leib Tukachinsky) was a prolific writer. Despite his literary activity, he never published a book. Instead, he chose to write articles and letters to the editor of his local newspapers. Though he never published his lecture notes, many excerpts of his moving addresses were printed in local papers. 

I intend to include all articles and letters to the editor written directly by Rabbi Loeb, any subtantial reproductions of his sermons, and any translations that he was credited with.

At the moment, I only have access digitized newspapers that are available freely online or through public library subscriptions. I know that Rabbi Loeb definitely wrote more than I have been able to locate, since many of the papers he likely wrote in have not been digitized or were lost to time.

As I locate more of his writings, I will try to update this list. Of course let me know if any of the links are broken. 

Julius T. Loeb, “Jewish Sympathy: Prayer of the Israelites of Palestine for Success of American Arms,” Nashville Banner (Nashville, TN), Aug. 17, 1898. (See Original Hebrew Prayer.)

“Sorrowing People: Services Yesterday Afternoon and Evening in Memory of McKinley: At Adath Israel Synagogue,” Evening Star (Washington, DC), Sept. 20, 1901. 

“Synagogue of Adath Israel: Yom Kippur Celebrated with Solemn and Impressive Services,” Washington Times (Washington, DC), Sept. 26, 1901.  

“Suggests an Exception: Dr. Loeb Asks that Sunday Closing Law Shall Not be Universal,” Evening Star (Washington, DC), May 28, 1902. (See also Washington Times)  

Julius T. Loeb, “Attitude of the Hebrew on the Sunday Bill,” Evening Times (Washington, DC), May 29, 1902.  

Julius T. Loeb, “The Assimilation of the Jew: A Reply to Rabbi Joseph Silverman,” Washington Times (Washington, DC), Dec. 27, 1902. (Printing error in author’s name, says Louis T. Loeb, see Washington Times Dec. 28, 1902, for correction to Julius T. Loeb)

Julius T. Loeb, “Jewish Assimilation and the Ghetto,” Washington Times (Washington, DC), Jan. 4, 1903.  

Julius T. Loeb, “’The Truth at Funerals’ Once More: No Human Being So Vile That Something Good May Not Be Said of Him After Death,” Washington Times (Washington, DC), Jan. 25, 1903.  

Julius T. Loeb, “Anti-Jewish Outrages in Russia,” Evening Star (Washington, DC), May 4, 1903.  

Julius T. Loeb, “Guilt is With Russia: Government Accused of Inciting Murder of Jews,” Washington Post (Washington, DC), May 24, 1903.

“Another Page from Kishinev’s Story: Horrors of the Massacre Told by One of the Survivors,” Washington Times (Washington, DC), June 14, 1903.   

Julius T. Loeb, “Assimilation the Greatest Evil to Befall the Jew: A Reply to the Criticism of the Hon. Simon Wolf Upon the Zionist Movement,” Washington Times (Washington, DC), Sept. 20, 1903.  

“Theodore Herzl Head of Zionism: Memorial Services in Adath Israel Synagogue,” Washington Times (Washington, DC), July 18, 1904.  

“Hebrews at Worship: Adath Israel Synagogue,” Evening Star (Washington, DC), Sept. 10, 1904. (See Also Washington Times, St. Louis Republic, Pine Bluff Daily Graphic) 

Julius T. Loeb, “Menace to the Nation: Why Jews Oppose Teaching Religion in Schools,” Washington Post (Washington, DC), April 10, 1905.

“In Adath-Israel’s Aid: Contributions Toward the Building of the Synagogue,” Evening Star (Washington, DC), Oct. 10, 1905.  

Julius T. Loeb, “What is Religion?” Evening Star (Washington, DC), Nov. 19. 1905.  

Julius T. Loeb, “Relief for the Russian Jews,” Evening Star (Washington, DC), Dec. 16, 1905.  

“Let the Jews Colonize: Rabbi Loeb Suggests They Gather in Palestine,” Evening Star (Washington, DC), Jan. 21, 1906.  

Julius T. Loeb, “The Solution of the Problem,” Jewish Daily News (New York, NY), Jan. 26, 1906.  

Julius T. Loeb, “Anti-Semitism Must be Fought,” Jewish Daily News (New York, NY), Sept. 2, 1906. 

Julius T. Loeb, “Repentance,” Evening Star (Washington, DC), Oct. 14, 1906.  

“Hebrew Poem to Simon Wolf Commemorating His Birthday,” Washington Times (Washington, DC), Oct. 30, 1906.  

“Cornerstone Placed: Address by Rabbi J. T. Loeb,” Evening Star (Washington, DC), Nov. 22, 1906.  (See Also Washington Times)

“Advises His Brethren: Rev. H Masliansky, Famous Yiddish Lecturer, Delivers Remarkable Address in this City,” Evening Star (Washington, DC), Jan. 6, 1907.  

“His 70th Milestone: Honors to Representative Member of Washington Hebrew Congregation,” Evening Star (Washington, DC), Jan. 16, 1907.  

“Favor Army Canteen: Prominent Religious Workers are with Movement for its Restoration,” Evening Star (Washington, DC), Feb. 10, 1907.  

Julius T. Loeb, “Why the Jew of Today is Not a Prohibitionist,” Baltimore Sun (Baltimore, MD), April 28, 1907. 

"Need Markets for Atlanta: Rabbi J. T. Loeb Talks Interestingly of His Observations," Atlanta Constitution (Atlanta, GA), Aug. 24, 1907.

"Jewish New Year is Ushered In: Rabbi Julius T. Loeb Preaches An Eloquent Sermon," Atlanta Constitution (Atlanta, GA), Sept. 9, 1907. 

“Menace to Morals: Rabbi Loeb Tells Reason for Opposing Prohibition,” Washington Herald (Washington, DC), Oct. 20, 1907.  

Julius T. Loeb, “What is Zionism?” Birmingham Age-Herald (Birmingham, AL), July 4, 1909. Part 2 

Julius T. Loeb, “The Right of Jewish Renationalization,” Birmingham Age-Herald (Birmingham, AL), Aug. 22, 1909.  

Julius T. Loeb, “The Jew in the Turkish Revolution,” Birmingham Age-Herald (Birmingham, AL), Sept. 5, 1909.  

Julius T. Loeb, “The Jewish New Year,” Birmingham Age-Herald (Birmingham, AL), Sept. 11, 1909.  

Julius T. Loeb, “The Jew in the Turkish Revolution [Part 2],” Birmingham Age-Herald (Birmingham, AL), Sept. 12, 1909.  

Julius T. Loeb, “Borrowed from the Treasures of Judah,” Birmingham Age-Herald (Birmingham, AL), Nov. 7, 1909.  

Julius T. Loeb, “The Burning Question,” Birmingham Age-Herald (Birmingham, AL), Nov. 21, 1909.  

Julius T. Loeb, “The Burning Question — No. 2,” Birmingham Age-Herald (Birmingham, AL), Nov. 28, 1909.  

Julius T. Loeb, “Halley’s Comet: Its Orbit Calculated and Described in Talmud Nineteen Hundred Years Ago,” American Israelite (Cincinnati, OH), Dec. 2, 1909. (See Also Jewish Voice, Pacific Commercial Advertiser)  

Julius T. Loeb, “Passover Feast to Begin at Sundown,” Birmingham Age-Herald (Birmingham, AL), April 23, 1910.  

Julius T. Loeb, “Letters to the Editor: Explains Jewish Editorial,” Birmingham Age-Herald (Birmingham, AL), May 27, 1911.  

Julius T. Loeb, “Russian Priest’s Confession,” Birmingham News (Birmingham, AL), Jan. 12, 1913.

Julius T. Loeb, “Rabbi Loeb Tells Additional Historical Facts Concerning American History on Race,” Birminham News (Birmingham, AL), April 6, 1913.

Julius T. Loeb, "Brandeis and Zionism," Atlanta Constitution (Atlanta, GA), Sept. 23, 1913.

Julius T. Loeb, "Passover and World's Freedom," Atlanta Constitution (Atlanta, GA), April 12, 1914. 

“The Hebrew Faith and the Quart-a-Month Law: Interesting Correspondence Between Rabbi Julius T. Loeb and Attorney General Thomas H. Peeples,” Herald And News (Newberry, SC), June 5, 1917.  

“Plea for Support of Zionist Cause: Rabbi Loeb Presents Ten Reasons for Consideration by Americans,” Evening Star (Washington, DC), April 5, 1922.  

Julius T. Loeb, “Washington Rabbi Reports Dream Visitation from Dead Mother of Boy He Buried,” Washington Times (Washington, DC), Feb. 18, 1923. Continued

“Offers Tribute to Dead in Wars,” Evening Star (Washington, DC), May 29, 1923.  

Julius T. Loeb, "Jewish Community Center Essential to Meet Need Synagogue Does Not Fill, Says Rabbi Loeb," Washington Herald (Washington, DC), Nov. 11, 1923.

Julius T. Loeb, “Religion and Americanism as Seen by a Rabbi,” Washington Daily News (Washington, DC), Oct. 7, 1924.

“Rabbi Pays Tribute to Heroes in Radio Address to G.A.R.,” Washington Post (Washington, DC), June 7, 1925.

Julius T. Loeb, “Rabbi Makes Argument Against Enforced Sunday Observance,” Washington Post (Washington, DC), March 28, 1926.

“Rabbi Holds Flag Emblems of Peace Rather Than War: Dr. Julius T. Loeb Urges Patriotism Free From Chauvinism,” Washington Post (Washington, DC), June 6, 1926.

Julius T. Loeb, “Jewish New Year Time of Rejoicing: Rabbi Tells Story,” Washington Post (Washington, DC), Sept. 5, 1926.

Julius T. Loeb, “Quake in Holy Land Killed 886, But Not One Jew, Says Rabbi,” Washington Post (Washington, DC), Sept. 25, 1927.

Julius T. Loeb, “Dr. Chaim Weizmann, Head of Zionist Organization Praised by Rabbi Loeb for His Activities and Leadership in Rebuilding Palestine for ‘Scattered Nation,’” Washington Post (Washington, DC), May 20, 1928.

"Rabbi Urges Modification," Omaha Sunday Bee-News (Omaha, NE), March 3, 1929.

“Death is Blow to Jews, Rabbi J. T. Loeb Asserts,” Washington Post (Washington, DC), Sept. 12, 1929.

“Keynote of Rosh Hashana is Justice, Rabbi Explains,” Washington Post (Washington, DC), Sept. 11, 1931.

Julius T. Loeb, "Mussolini and the Jews in Italy," Washington Post (Washington, DC), May 31, 1937.

"Loeb Demands Jerusalem Be Given to Jews," Washington Post (Washington, DC), July 19, 1937.

Julius T. Loeb, "Jews in Palestine: Rabbi Replies to Letter in Post Criticizing Zionists," Washington Post (Washington, DC), Aug. 8, 1937.

“Religion Motivates History, Loeb Says,” Washington Post (Washington, DC), June 14, 1938.

Julius T. Loeb, “Jews in Spain: Assurance New State is Not Anti-Semitic Gratifies Rabbi,” Washington Post (Washington, DC), March 26, 1939.

Julius T. Loeb, “Preparedness for Peace: Greatest Boon to Mankind is Highest Ideal in Judaism,” Reform Advocate (Chicago, IL), Feb. 23, 1940.  

Julius T. Loeb, “The World’s Crying Need,” Washington Post (Washington, DC), Sept. 21, 1941.

Anti-Zionist Discourse

With the current surge of support for Palestinian liberation, people are looking for an ideological framework to understand why everything has been happening. As always, it is easier to formulate an oversimplified model of ideologies, than to examine the current and historical events at face value. Accordingly, arguments that seek to delegitimize Zionism have resurged in popularity. 

Ideas such as the Khazar theory of Jewish origin are making the rounds again. The Khazar theory posits that Ashkenazi Jews are primarily descendent from Khazar converts to Judaism. The Khazar Khaganate was an early medieval central Asian state that converted to Judaism in the 8th century CE. There are many problems with this theory. Primarily, the historical evidence for the conversion of the Khazars is extremely limited. The singular primary source for this event, namely a letter that was supposedly sent by a "King Joseph" of the Khazars to Hasdai ibn Shaprut, the Jewish foreign minister of Abd ar-Rahman III, Kalif of Andalusia. Though it is certain that Hasdai believed there to be a Jewish Khazar state, and he most likely tried to send them a letter, the letter that is traditionally considered to be the response is very suspect. Forgeries of this kind abounded during the Middle Ages.

Jews during this era were stateless in a moment when the Christian and Muslim worlds seemed to united against each other. There was a general idea that a secret Jewish kingdom would arise to retake Jerusalem and usher in the Messianic era. A Jewish traveler who went by Eldad ha-Dani famously claimed that there was a hidden kingdom of the 10 lost tribes in East Africa. The letter from King Joseph of the Khazars fits right into this era of global travelers claiming to have found Jewish kingdoms. Some archeological evidence suggests that there were some Jew in the Caucuses during this era. It is possible that some of the Khazar nobility converted to Judaism as a middle-ground monotheistic religion that allowed them to stay neutral in the global dichotomy of Christianity and Islam. There is not nearly enough evidence to suggest that there were enough Khazar converts to be the primary ancestor population of Ashkenazi Jews. 

Anyone who has studied the historical record knows that there were already large Jewish population centers in Europe when the Khazars were supposed to have converted. This theory has to ignore so much of established historical fact that it feels ridiculous to have to refute. Despite this, most people have little idea of how history is studied and just assume that if this idea is written about, it must be true. 

The Khazar theory is helpful for people who seek to delegitimize Zionism. It allows them to form a category of illegitimate nationalisms that have no good reason to exist. Accepting the Khazar theory as a good model of Jewish heritage, the Jews have no reason to live in Palestine, since they are actually from central Asia. This is unlike the indigenous Palestinians, who have lived in Palestine since time immemorial. The Khazar theory itself fails to account for anyone who isn't a descendent of Eastern Ashkenazi Jews. Part of the original impetus for the Khazar theory was that the pre-WWII Eastern European Jewish population had grown so fast during the early modern period that some anthropologists were skeptical that they were really fully descendent of the western European Jewish migrants. Instead, the large population increase was due to the assimilation of many unknown central Asian Jews who they imagined migrated to the Kingdom of Poland en-masse. This theory was, and remains, fully European centric. In its origin context, it allowed western Europeans to respect the emancipation and integration of western European Jews, as they were true "Semites" and civilized, whereas the Eastern European Jews were fit to hate because they were primarily uncivilized barbarians of the central Asian Steppe. This also likely formed an associated with "invading" Eastern European Jewish migrants with the medieval Mongol hordes. Much in the same way that in the US, people like to label the Latin American immigrants as criminals and rapists. 

The Khazar theory does not account for the ancestry of Mediterranean, West, Central, and South Asian Jewish populations that participated in Zionism. 

It is legitimate to differentiate between the Jewish Zionists and the indigenous Palestinians. The vast, vast majority of the Jews who live in Israel are descendants of immigrants who came in the last century through Zionism. Many immigrants choose to change their names. In Israel, where modern-Hebrew was imposed as the national Jewish language, many families from all over the diaspora chose to change their last names to Hebrew equivalents under this cultural pressure. You find Eastern European Jews changing their names from Greun to ben-Gurion, or west Asian Jews changing their name from Abdullah to Ovadiah. You can find people online referring to Bibi by his ancestors' Polish last name, in an effort to highlight his immigrant Jewish heritage.  

The implication is that the immigration reflects an illegitimate nationalism or illegitimate existence in the land. I want to address each of these thoughts independently. 

Nationalism is always fabricated and made up. Political historians generally look to the French revolution for the origins of modern political thought, since that revolution really had it all. The idea of nationalism was expressed for the first time during this revolution. Previously, the leaders of a country imagined that they themselves embodied the government. The French revolutionaries adapted the ideas of social contract theory to mean that the French people, the nation, together held the power of French governance. In many ways the "French nation" was a fiction. The people who lived in France were determined by the borders drawn during the Monarchical period. The borders during the revolution had been drawn at the peace of Westphalia. In order to argue for the reality of the French people, the government began to impose of Parisian French as the true French language in order to create a common language for the people of France. Similarly, a national culture for France had to be developed. This manufactured unity of the French people was a powerful narrative that sought to unite them under a democratic political system. 

Not everyone who lived in the borders of France was immediately considered part of the French nation. The Jews of Alsace had to fight pretty hard to get nominally equal French citizenship, since it was not immediately granted when the revolutionary government formed. On one hand, nationalism can be used to liberate a people from an oppressive government that does not represent them, but it also necessarily excludes people and provides a new medium for discrimination. The Jews of Alsace were seen as foreigners who did not belong in the already complete French nation. Already built nation states tend to be stable enough to critique themselves and tolerate immigrants. This generally manifests in people arguing that immigrants can assimilate in the national culture or the nation can be multi-cultural. Generally, the prevalence of these ideas lead to more tolerance of immigrants, which is a good thing. 

Palestinian nationalism is foundationally as false as any other nationalism. I hope that people understand that when they critique Zionism in the same way. However, Palestinian nationalism is rightly deserving of our favor, since it is in the "fighting oppressive government" stage. Palestinian nationalism also has an "other," a group that is definitely not part of it. Those are the Zionist Jews. Though in theory, many claim they happily embrace non-Zionist Jews, in practice anti-Zionist regimes have ended up just discriminating against Jews in general. To be fair, there is much to hate about what Zionism does to a Jewish community. The transformation of religion into nationalism is not pretty. Unfortunately, most religious community in the world today possess elements of religious nationalism. We still live in the era of Ethno-Nationalism, and its popularity shows no signs of waning. Any discrimination against religious-Nationalism will lead to increased government oversight of the religious community, which if not distributed equally, will manifest as religious discrimination. Also it is almost impossible to destroy ideas directly, they generally need to be superseded by more popular ideas. 

Regarding immigration. Most of the Jews who live in Israel today are descendants of immigrants who came in the last century. Under Zionist direction, many of them have participated in the Zionist settler colonial process. Small amounts of Jewish immigration to the region has existed for centuries. Following the first crusade, when the historic Palestinian Jewish community was mostly wiped out, diaspora Jews began constituting the majority of Palestine's Jewish community. By the early modern period, there were sizable Jewish populations in the Jerusalem, Safed, Tiberias, and Hebron. In 19th century, the majority of the Jews living in these areas were of Spanish Jewish descent, most of them were settled in the region by the Ottoman empire after they were expelled from Spain the 1492. A minority of them were immigrants from eastern Europe, and an even smaller minority were descendants of the indigenous Jewish population. 

With the increasing popularity of Zionism at the turn of the 20th century, more Jews began to immigrate to Palestine with the intention of colonizing it. In Palestine, at the time, the majority of the people living there were peasant farmers who rented from large landowners, in a feudal system of farming. The Zionists bought land from these large landowners and then evicted the native Palestinian peasants. This was effectively the start of tensions between indigenous Palestinians and Jewish immigrants. Indigenous Palestinian violence against the Zionist settlers was stoked by preachers like Izz ad-Din al-Qassam, who framed the Jewish immigrants within an Islamic context, weaponizing Islamic antisemitism against the Jewish colonizers. 

Anti-colonial resistance is a legitimate cause, but the anti-colonial activity of the area, took on an antisemitic character which threatened even the Jews who were not participating the in the colonial activity. Continuously increasing tensions. 

Foreign supporters of Palestinian liberation, who don't consider themselves antisemites, cannot be in favor of expelling the "foreign Jewish population" of Palestine. It is difficult to determine if people who believe in a liberated Palestinian state will be tolerant of a large Jewish population in the territory. The militant Palestinian liberation groups like Hamas and Hezbollah tend to believe that the Jews will emigrate out of fear once they achieve enough regional power. This mass emigration is unlikely to happen. The idea is based on the narrative of the wandering Jew who flees danger. Even though some Jews may leave, I find it unlikely that it will happen on the scale that they imagine. Other Arab states, like Yemen and Iraq have undergone processes like this, but they were only successful because Israel was willing to absorb so many Jewish immigrants. All the countries that attempted this before the state of Israel was created generally failed to induce a mass emigration of their Jewish populations.   

Those who fantasize about a mass emigration of their perceived enemies tend to be supportive of those enemies' extermination if they won't leave. We are seeing this right now with Israel. The most fascistic Zionists within Israel, especially the followers of Meir Kahane, fantasized about a mass emigration of Arabs from Israel. Kahane proposed bribing them all to leave, but they really wanted to them to leave out of fear. This fear tactic was first implemented with some success during the 1948 war, when about 800,000 Palestinian Arabs fled their homes in Israel out of fear and were never allowed to return. 

The fact of the matter is, 7 million Jews live in Israel today. Though the land they live upon was acquired in bloodshed, getting rid of them will required even more bloodshed. The best peace solution is not to return to the fantasy of a pre-Zionist independent Palestine. It's as impossible as the Zionist fantasy to return to a pre-Roman independent mono-cultural Judea. Decades of immigration, expulsion, and blood has irrevocably scarred the region. 

My own fantasy is for a singular secular state that recognizes the religious and national identities that it contains. This state would also offer reparations to victims of the violence. Even though these reparations will be offered to Israelis who lost family and property in the violence, the vast majority of the recipients will be Palestinians who live both domestically and abroad, since they make up the vast majority of victims of the violence over the past century. I fear that such a state will be far too unstable to maintain itself. Maybe it could create a unifying peace narrative, but there will be significant pockets of Zionists who would want to maintain Jewish supremacy and the "right to return" for Jews globally. On the other side, there will be Palestinian Islamic nationalists who would want to start forcing Jews out of the country. The history of violence would encourage people to take up arms once again. 

Another possible solution, which is supported by the international community, is the two state solution. This is an old idea that dates back to the British mandate period. It has always been a messy solution, since the population distributions within historic Palestine do not lend well to simple divisions. In spite of the border drawing difficulties, two states would allow for the national expression of both groups. The very small territory would require them to cooperate very closely with each other, though there remains the great worry of violence re-erupting should extremists come to power on either side. 

I don't know which solution would ultimately work the best. I do know that we must be thinking pragmatically about how to accommodate a peaceful coexistence of both groups in the land without fantasizing about the extermination of one or the other. As long as our discourse tolerates such ideologies, it will be very difficult to reach a lasting peace agreement.     

A History of Student Government at Yeshiva University

At many educational institutions in the United States, there is some kind of school sponsored student government. Each school has its own policies for the powers and responsibilities afforded to this student government, but overall all schools have the same main goals in mind. The student government affords the students the opportunity to practice civic engagement in a low stakes environment and the school can benefit from some kind of student input to potentially improve some of their policies. 

Yeshiva University has had a student government since long before it was a University. The earliest recorded student government was formed for the Talmudical Academy high school in 1918 it was referred to as the Students' Organization of the Talmudical Academy High School (S.O.T.A.H.S.) and alternatively as the General Organization (G.O.). The Talmudical Academy High School itself was formed out of the merger of Yeshivas Etz Chaim and Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yitzchak Elchanan in 1915. 

Though both of these schools offered some secular education, they existed outside of the educational framework of the American school system at the time. Yeshivas Etz Chaim educated elementary through middle school aged students, preparing them to attend a more advanced Yeshiva. Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yitzchak Elchanan taught high school aged students, providing them with the opportunity to test for Semicha. Semicha candidates at the time would be around 18 to 20 years old. 

Along with the merger of the two Yeshivas, there was an emphasis on professionalizing the whole educational system. Yeshivas Etz Chaim would become an accredited college preparatory high school, now called the Talmudical Academy. Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yitzchak Elchanan would begin to only accept high school graduates, making Semicha into a professional degree. Later additions to the Yeshiva curriculum such as Yeshiva College and later the graduate schools would increase the professional education required for a RIETS Semicha making it into a graduate degree. 

S.O.T.A.H.S. produced the Talmudical Academy yearbook, the Elchanite which records many of their activities. They arranged various clubs, athletics, and even basic medical services for themselves. 

Buried within the oldest surviving Elchanite Yearbook is a reference to the S.O.Y.. During Lag Ba'omer of 1923, the students of the Talmudical Academy and the Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yitzchak Elchanan set out from their crowded building at 301 East Broadway and boarded the Broadway line of the Interborough Rapid Transit company. They traveled all the way up to Van Cortland Park to play their annual game of Baseball. The high school, as usual, beat the S.O.Y. 11-3. 

S.O.Y. at the time likely stood for the Students' Organization of the Yeshiva. This reading is based upon its name in 1926, as recorded in Hedenu (our echo) the S.O.Y.'s oldest surviving publication. Hedenu was a bilingual, Hebrew and English newspaper that gradually became a literary magazine over the course of its life. Hedenu never discusses much about the origins of the S.O.Y., though S.O.Y. leadership often used it as a mouthpiece to publish their general communications. An essay written by Solomon Wind, the President of the S.O.Y. in Hedenu's first issue reflects the perception that the S.O.Y. is already old and has peaked in the past. This may be a rhetorical construction on the part of Solomon Wind, however it is much more insecure narrative of student government activity than what can be found in the Elchanite Yearbooks. The December 1928 issue of Hedenu includes a S.O.Y. page that generally discusses what the S.O.Y. has been up to. There is a list of all the people involved with the organization and the committees they serve on, and there are some articles describing the athletic activities of the S.O.Y.. The number of committees and the roles of the positions on the executive board are useful for understanding the abstract constitution and function of the organization in 1928. There were 16 councilmen, and 7 members of the executive committee. There was a president, vice-president, secretary, editor (of Hedenu), Gabai, Dining Room Manager, and Athletic Manager. The S.O.Y. seems to have assisted in running the prayer services, providing extra-curricular programing like guest speakers and athletics, stocking the library, managing some dormitory functions including the mail. 

All the issues of Hedenu from 1926 to 1928 were digitized by Otzar Hachochma. 

There was a third school operating out of RIETS during the 1920s. That the Teachers' Institute or Beit Midrash Le'Morim. This school had its own student government. The Teachers' Institute was formed in 1917 and merged with RIETS in 1921. Its first yearbook Nir was published in 1925 by the students of the Teacher's Insitute. It was only in the 1925-1926 academic year that the faculty of the school assisted the students in organizing a student government, the Histadrut Talmidei Beit Midrash Le'Morim, or if it had a name in English, the Students Organization of the Teachers' Institute. 

This young Students' Organization managed the publication of Nir, the Teachers' Institute Library, and potentially some athletic activities (since there was an athletic manager on the board). It is worth noting that there was no record of athletic activities in the Nir yearbook, so it is unlikely that this position was as active as his counterpart in the S.O.Y. and the S.O.T.A.H.S.. 

The environment of the student governments of RIETS would change with the formation of Yeshiva College in 1928. Initially the students worked with the faculty to publish an annual journal called Masmid. Both the Masmid 1929 and 1930 were published under this arrangement. It was only in the 1930-1931 academic year that a broader student government organization was formed. This organization was initially called the Students' Organization of Yeshiva College, or S.O.Y.C. They quickly changed the name to the Yeshiva College Students Council, Y.C.S.C., probably because it was so similar to S.O.Y.

As Yeshiva College and the broader school of Yeshiva University grew, the role of the Yeshiva College Student Council transformed over time. I will try to cover some of the more notable policy shifts in future posts. 

A Brief Encounter Between Chaim Yaakov Widrewitz and RIETS

As an amateur researcher of the early history of YU, I am deeply indebted to the writings of Gilbert Klaperman. For his doctoral research that accompanied his rabbinic degree, he produced a critical history of Yeshiva University. Lacking any archival records from before 1915, Klaperman turned to newspapers and oral history to construct a grounded narrative. Like any pioneer in a particular field, Klaperman got a lot right, but also made many errors. 

I am fortunate to have the luxury of the National Library of Israel's digital newspaper collection to exponentially increase my ability to find relevant information in the collection. Klaperman had to manually search through tens of thousands of pages of newspaper material to find his many sources. His imperfect method of search meant that he missed some information that challenges the facts that form the basis of his historical narrative. Though on the whole, his historical narrative is generally reliable as an approximation of the historical events. 

Klaperman (page 131) of his doctoral thesis, states that RIETS first sent out someone to fundraise out of state in 1900, a sign that it had grown too large to be supported locally. I found that RIETS actually sent out a fundraiser to travel across the country from July 1, 1898.

https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dth/1898/07/01/01/article/12 

The fundraising advertisement begins with a basic description of Yeshiva. 

"Here in New York there is exists a Yeshiva, already in its second year, where one studies Gemara with Poskim, and for two hours a day a teacher teaches the English language, and the boys get board, clothing, and all expenses."

Then follows with an appeal for funds.

"Therefore we sent out a fundraiser, the great rabbi and speaker Yisrael Yosef Litvik [sic] and we request that all rabbis, slaughterers, and presidents receive him with honor wherever he goes. And support the elevated matter, to elevate the horn of Torah in America, the money from each city should be sent to the treasurer M. A. Germansky, and they will get receipts from New York."

And ends with the following signatures.

"Yaakov Yosef, Rav ha-Kollel

Hillel Katz who is called Klein

Shlomo Natan Kotler Judge of the Kollel"

Chaim Yaakov Widrewitz moved to America in 1892 to lead the Lubavitch community in New York. The Adas Lubavitch and Niezhin published a letter in Hapisgah on August 12, 1892, announcing that he would be their spiritual leader.

Initially it seems that Widrewitz worked with Yaakov Yosef and the established orthodox rabbinate of New York to police Kashrut. A public letter reprinted from March to April 1896, declaring a slaughterhouse on Governor Street to be not Kosher, was signed by both Yaakov Yosef and Chaim Yaakov Widrewitz. They were also jointly signed on another letter that ran from May to August 1896 declaring a rival rabbinic organization, bearing the name Kollel America v'Tiferet Yerushalayim to be illegitimate. 

The two rabbis seem to have developed beef in October of the same year. On October 2, Yaakov Yosef and his assistant Hillel Klein declared the United Dress Beef Company to no longer be under their supervision. Following a summons of shochetim from this slaughterhouse to a Din Torah in late September. 

On October 12 Chaim Yaakov Widerwitz endorsed the Kashrut of shochetim of the United Dress Beef Company. 

This seems to have been the start of Widerwitz and Yosef's feud over Kashrut in New York City. 

The feud played out in some interesting ways. Shortly after RIETS announced that it was sending out a fundraiser, Chaim Yaakov Widrewitz protested this development. On July 7, 1898, about a week after the announcement was made, Widrewitz published a letter in the Jewish Daily Herald. Widrewitz argued that it was embarrassing for the New York Jewish community to have to fundraise from outside the city for its Yeshiva. He claimed to have consulted with Yehuda David Bernstein and Asher Lemel Germansky, the treasurer, who agreed with his perspective. It seems as if Widrewitz was blaming the Rav Hakollel for the idea of sending out fundraiser for the Yeshiva, and inflicting shame upon the New York Jewish community. 

Its difficult to know exactly what happened then, but my gut feeling is that Widrewitz was trying to use this small issue of the Yeshiva fundraising outside of the city against his local rabbinic rival. Claiming that Yaakov Yosef was bringing shame upon the New York Jewish community with the intention of swaying public opinion. 

At some point I should look more into the United Dress Beef Company affair, but for the moment I must let it sit because I don't really have time to investigate further.