Yeshiva University High School For Boys - Elchanite Yearbook (New York, NY)

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Til fr-ty THE ELCH,1.N'ITE Yeshiva and Leadership INITTCHHL ESKOLSKY. ANY are the qualitieations whieh the Yeshiva instills in the students whom it graduates. The Yeshiva gives them a thorough Hebraie and seeular edu- eation through its two hranehes of learning. the Hebrew and the high sehool departments. It keeps them in a salutary environment in whieh they are hrought up as Jews, firm he- lievers in God and the Torah and upholders of traditional Judaismg and, eonsequently, it wards off the many lures and temptations with which the street-that demon of so- eiety-is invariably associated. How- ever. there is a. still greater value attaehed to the Yeshiva heeause its graduates have been ineuleated with an indefinahle spirit of moral lead- ership and deep teaching. The last statement does not mean that every one who is graduated will enter the liahhinate. Perhaps only a few will direet their eourse to- wards a Rabbinieal eareer. The re- maining graduates, on the other hand. will. also heeonie leaders. hut in the different spheres of endeavor which they may enter. As a general who also is a soldier is the proper head of his army. so a Yeshiva grad- uate, in whatever profession or hus- iness he may enter. will beeome a. leader of that partieular group. In produeing these future leaders of Judaism. the Yeshiva is ereating a twofold henetit for Judaism. At the present time. there is dire need of eompetent Jewish leaders who, he- sides having an excellent Hehrew ed- ueation shall also he at home with seeular knowledge. XYith the rising of the younger generation, there is an impending fear that orthodox Juda- ism will lose mueh of its guiding' in- tluenee. There is fear that the Torah will not he studied as it has heen and the traditions of our forefathers will he disregarded. This inundating tlood of ignorance must he dannned or it may prove serious. This ean be aeeomplished only under the tirni and faithful guidanee of Jewish or- thodox leaders whose duty it will he to guide the Jewish people in the liight of our God and Torah. The Yeshiva. therefore. is eontrihuting mueh to this nohle eause of upholil- ing the religion to whieh our an- eestors have elung so steadfastly for almost two thousand years of exile. Her g'ra.duates will not only direet their own ehildren in an orthodox Jewish path hut. as leaders. will in- iiuenee their respeetive and individ- ual eommunities to ahide hy the Jew- ish. orthodox religion. They will or- ganize eluhs where the young' Jews may aequire knowledge of Jewish learning. sueh as the Talmud, Jewish history and the liihle. One primary aeeomplishment of the Yeshiva' therefore. is the stemming of the tide of apostasy from orthodox Judaism. Another and just as important ae- eomplishment is the faet that these young graduates with their seeular

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THE ELCHJXI TE Twenty-N1'ne faster and closer. It is the distance of the parents of many 'tbachurim that leads them to seek counsel in the wisdom of a friend or someone to frequent an untenanted soul. The Yeshivah becomes our paternal ab- ode and its students our kindred. Day after day wc pour over the Talmudie tome or sing' a favorite tune to ourselves until we arrive at the proper inter- pretation or t'phshat of the inspir- ing passage. Then we experience a certain inward gratitication of a rather heavenly kind. lVe study the Talmud not to employ it, as the Mish- na says. as a spade to die' for treas- ures or as a crown to shine before the eyes of neighbors. but because we love it, admire it. respect it. Pure love of the law. oi' its humane stat- utes and wise principles. which are explained. widened and deepened in the Talmud: warm enthusiasm tor Judaism which thousands upon thousands of richly talented Talmud sages made the subject of their in- tellectual labor. these prompt us to drink from the wisdom of our an- cestors. We ponder, we mediate but Israel stands uppermost in our thoughts. VVe forever nurture and cherish the fond hope of the Jew's return to Zion. On that depends. the accomplishment of all our de- sires. the realization of all our dreams. Days pass onward and ever do we wend our way in the proper di- rection. guided by the beacon light of a spiritual lighthouse in the midst ot a dark and troubled sea of practic- al life. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THIS editors wish to express their heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Horwitz tor the valuable services rendered them in correcting manuscripts and in offering many helpful suggestions. His criticism and correcting' have made a better. purer Elchanite. for which aid we again express our sincerest thanks. e pg-T r-'s,mN,,,a JASEDF4 f55Jx2,4sb J4- ia ivgotilegvfs ' . :iii .t J N S:??d

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THE ELCHJXI TE Tl11'rty- One knowledge will always be ready to answer the attacks of the anti-Sem- ites who. with their mud slinging tactics. have. heretofore. found us largely unable to combat their attaeks due to the lack of such leaders. More- over. this gap in the Jewish ranks further encouraged them in their ef- forts towards broadening the scopc of their work. Now, however. with the protection of such educated lead- ers. the Jewish people will be secure against the false accusations which have been levelled against it. The existence of the Yeshiva is, therefore. of prime importance to every Jew who honestly adheres to the principles of orthodox Judaism. It is his solemn and most sacred du- ty to uphold and even strengthen an institution which furnishes the great- est Jewish leaders of tomorrow.-the Yeshiva. Thoughts at Graduation l'iMANl'l:iL ltl'lIti'H, '2I'. LL of us have, at some time. thought of graduation. VVVe all have rather hopefully looked forward to it as 'a most joyful event. Upon entering high school. fresh from the element- ary school commencement exercises. we could just vaguely imagine our future graduation. sa vaguely indeed. that the thought had to be dismissed from our minds as too remote or un- believable. How we envied those seniors who were fortunate enough to be graduated! How we wished our- selves in their positions! The thought of so many years of work and harship before we could reach our goal dis- mayed us. How many, we wondered. would we leave behind us on the road before finally reaching our goal.- victorious? Such thoughts assailed ns before we set to work in our Freshman year. Following the beginning of the first term. and during the greater part of our high immediate and School life. more more pressing thoughts and fears occupied our minds. The teachers were relentless, always pressing. never. so we felt. lenient. The work they showered upon us seemed too great for a human being to accomplish. It seemed to some of us that we would be crushed by the downpourg that the Sweeping flood of examin- ations would overwhclm us and leave us behind. At such moments did we feel discouraged and gloomy. and the world looked black to us. However, when the storm was weathered. when the port had been reached, when the crisis had been safely passed. then did the rainbow that comes after every storm seem doubly bright and beautiful... Now. that we can survey our four years at high school through a non- partisan glass we see a picture. ditt- erent from what it seemed at the time the scenes were being enacted. Perhaps it is that now, being out ot' high school. we can look back with our prejudices swept away. and ad-