This week, a portion of the senior grade ventured up to the twelfth floor of Belfer Hall to the Presidential Suite to meet with the President of Yeshiva University, Richard Joel. The students, accompanied by Rabbi Taubes and Rabbi Tanchum Cohen, filed into his office and had the opportunity to hear him speak about various issues relating to Yeshiva University, including some of his own aspirations and goals for YU in the near future, and about how YU is constantly improving itself as an institution to be at the top of its game. 

The highlight of the visit, though, was the special Q&A session with President Joel which followed his presentation. Students had the opportunity to ask him about anything on their minds. Questions varied from inquiries about ideas like Torah UMadda to how he feels about having a son who is one of the Maccabeats! 

The meeting with the President was insightful, and in addition to learning about some interesting aspects of YU, we had a good time being around the dynamic and fun personality of President Richard Joel. The remainder of the senior class looks forward to having a similar meeting with the President next week. 

On Tuesday and Wednesday this past week, many MTA students traveled to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Newman of Great Neck to visit them, as they sat Shiva following the sudden loss of their dear son, Ariel. Ariel was a student at MTA who had graduated just this past June (Class of 2014), and tragically, while hiking with friends from his yeshiva in Israel, he passed away last week.

Before most students actually arrived at the Newman home, they had expected to come to a house filled with nothing but tears, weeping, and sorrow, which are only natural after such a devastating and indescribable loss. When we arrived there, though, we realized how mistaken our assumptions were. Mr. and Mrs. Newman, although obviously deeply pained and saddened, were intensely focused on celebrating the life of Ariel, as opposed to only mourning his unfortunate passing.

Mr. Newman spoke to us at length about who Ariel really was. His most prominent characteristic, Mr. Newman noted, was his pride in himself as a person. He didn't care about doing whatever everyone else did just because that was the thing to do; he acted on his own, he knew who he was, and he was very comfortable with himself. Mr. Newman added that Ariel left this world in a very unique circumstance: while on an upward personal trajectory, as he had gone to our holy land on a year long mission to grow in Torah and commitment to God.  

Ariel also had the ability to find a Torah message in everything in life. Even regarding comic books, a favorite hobby of Ariel's, his father explained, he and and his son often had lengthy discussions about how they can teach lessons about Torah and God.

For her part, Mrs. Newman urged us to appreciate our parents and to reciprocate the love which they show us. It was clear to us all that Mr. and Mrs. Newman were people of great inner strength, integrity, and commitment to Judaism.   

Mr. Newman urged us that whenever we follow in Ariel's ways, we should think about Ariel, and hopefully that will bring an aliyah to his neshamah.

The visit as a whole was a very inspiring one for all who went. We had originally gone to comfort mourning parents, which of course we did, but in addition, it was we who received a tremendous amount of chizuk and inspiration. To see parents who could be so clear-minded and so dedicated to their beliefs and their son's life in the face of such tragedy was a truly remarkable experience for all of us.

תהא נשמתו צרורה בצרור החיים

On Thursday, the talmidim in Rabbi Schenker's shiur kicked off a new and ground-breaking program in which the talmidim in Rabbi Yehuda Willig's BMP shiur in Yeshiva University became our "big brothers".  

For the inaugural event, we met the college students in the Morgenstern Dorm Beis Medrash where they learn every morning.  While we waited for them to finish their own shiur, Rabbi Schenker allowed us to spend a few minutes playing fussball and ping pong in the dorm lounge.

After we went in to the Beis Medrash, we were divided up into small groups with our new "big brothers." We had a great pizza lunch with our individual groups and got to know each other.  

In order to create a deeper bond between us and to enable us to get to know each other even better, Rabbi Schenker ran a great ice breaker game in which we had to list all of the things that everyone in the group had in common and one thing about each of us that is unique.  

We hope to have many more events with our "big brothers" throughout the year, including a three-on-three basketball tournament, a Chanukah chagigah, and of course chavrusa time to learn with the college students. It is hoped that this will lead to many more MTA shiurim joining up with other YU shiurim and even further strengthening the unique MTA/YU bond. 

 #nowherebuthere #onlyinmta