The prospect of Yeshiva University being forced to accept a club that promotes violations of Torah Law was a significant topic for CJV’s rabbis, with multiple op-eds and then a letter to YU President Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman that was covered extensively by the school paper.
To quote Rabbi Steven Pruzansky’s most recent op-ed in the Israel National News, Torahphobia is the fear of taking Torah seriously, the fear of perceiving its values as divine, eternal, and superior to human values. In fact, said Torahphobes only take seriously the parts of Torah that appeal to them. Torahphobia is real, prevalent, and sweeping across significant parts of the Jewish world. In particular, it is threatening to collapse Modern Orthodoxy, explaining why they are trying to force an LGBTQ+ “pride” club upon Yeshiva University.
Rabbi Avrohom Gordimer’s op-ed, also in the Israel National News, describes an overt example of Torahphobia, namely, the petition supporting the LGBTQ+ club. Rabbi Gordimer points out that 1600 out of 70,000 graduates is miniscule, and it shows that the vast majority, those who back Torah observance, stand with YU.
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As summarized in the YU Commentator, CJV’s position on this issue is clear. The idea of a ‘pride’ club glorifying defiance of Torah law is explicitly counter to the goal of Yeshiva University, [which is] to provide a university education in a Torah environment. CJV laid this out in our letter to Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman, President of YU, commending him for standing firm.