Yeshiva University - Masmid Yearbook (New York, NY)

Page 10 text:

« niN ' In addition to his profound scholarly contributions in his major interest areas. Dr. Belkin demonstrated marked administrative abil- ity, tireless energy and unusual leadership qualities. He was able to relate to his students with warmth and compassion. Concerned with each young man, he provided help to those who needed it, visited them when they were sick, fed them at his home, and worried about their needs. In return, his students revered him, confided in him, and sought his advice and approbation. In addition to deliver- ing his regular shiur, which was a marvel of logical exposition, inci- sive reasoning, and broad scholarship, and writing his many schol- arly articles and book. Dr. Belkin, upon assuming the presidency, gave himself completely to blueprinting an expansion of the Yesh- iva. The critical years immediately following his assumption of office were characterized by the agony of being aware of the terrible tragedy of the European holocaust, and the annihilation of Jewish Centers of learning.

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Dr. Bolkin, after having studied ol the world renowned YESHI- VOT of Mir and Radin in Europe, arrived in the U.S. in 1929 at the ago of 18. In 1935, Dr. Belkin, who »ix yean earlier tp oke only Yiddiih, Hebrew, and Polish, came to Ye»hivo College oi initruclof of Greek, and a year later became a ROSH YESHIVA m RIETS. Thus, in only 6 years, he had mastered the English longuoge, gone through college, received a Ph.D. from Brown University, woi elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and was awarded an honorary fellow- ship at Brown University. Most important, however, a great scholar was now brought to Yeshiva College and R.I.E.T.S. Following the death of Yeshiva ' s first president, Dr. Bernard Revel, Dr. Belkin was appointed a member of the Executive Com- mittee of Yeshiva College and Dean of Rabbi Isac Elchanan Theo- logical Seminary. In May 1941 he became president of Yeshiva University. ■ Tjj

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Dr. Belkin was determined that RIETS and Yeihivo College would carry the American Orthodox Jew to hii complete educotionol fol- fillmont. Dr. Belkin planned that under Yethivo ' j auipicet men and women would be able to enter every career and profetiion without losing a jot of their Jewijhneii. Education, social work, medicine, and the sciences, fields where quotos on Jewish odmitsions or other difficulties hod severely limited the Orthodox Jewish student, would now be opened to them. In short. Dr. Belkin projected a blueprint for a broad and encompassing university progrom.