This year marks the twentieth yartzheit of Rav Yosef B. Soloveitchik, the founder of Modern Orthodoxy and one of the most influential rabbinic figures of the 20th century. Across the country, day schools and yeshivas are commemorating the Rav during the month of Nissan, remembering and honoring his contribution to the American Jewish community. Rabbi Lanner opened his presentation by challenging us to think of the most influential people in our lives and in America today. Justin Bieber, Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, and Barack Obama were just a few of the names mentioned.  None of us have met these people, none of us have interacted with them, and most of us haven't even ever seen these people in person and yet they have so intensely shaped the world we live in today. Rabbi Lanner then posited that just like these people have changed our lives without us even knowing it, so too the Rav dramatically shifted the perspective of the Jewish community.

Before the Rav introduced the idea of Modern Orthodox day schools, the only form of Jewish education that existed were yeshivas, devoid of secular education and focused only on Judaics.  In explaining the Rav's philosophy of Torah u'Madda, Rabbi Lanner used the metaphor of different dieting styles. One approach is the Slim Fast diet, whereby the dieter is prohibited from indulging in any food and is restricted to only Slim Fast bars and shakes. An alternative is Weight Watchers; in this case the dieter is welcome to indulge in any food as long as it is within the point-system allotted to the dieter. The Weight Watchers diet is like Modern Orthodoxy; Jews are encouraged to be involved in the modern world, to pursue the arts and to study sciences, as long as they stay within the boundaries and align themselves primarily with the principles of the Torah.  The Rav's philosophy wholly altered the way that Jews interacted in the modern world, encouraging Jews to pursue a strong secular education, to become scientists and writers, philosophers and mathematicians, and yet all the while maintain a strong and deep connection to Torah.

Our school, Weinbaum Yeshiva High School, operates on this principle of Torah u'Madda, encouraging students to work hard and dedicate themselves to their Judaic studies and yet to simultaneously pursue a strong academic education so that we can successfully interact with the modern world. This past week the students of WYHS, more than ever, demonstrated a commitment to Torah u'Madda. The Storm participated in the annual Red Sarachek Tournament at Yeshiva University in New York, while a large group of students demonstrated their theatrical, musical, and artistic abilities in the "Evening of the Arts." In the legacy of the Rav, we take it upon ourselves as Modern Orthodox Jews to train our minds, our bodies, and our souls. By strengthening these foundations within us, WYHS is helping to produce a generation of strong, successful, and committed Modern Orthodox Jews.