Dear VIN News,
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I’m so excited that the YU Maccabees are super successful and have been “crushing it” in the NCAA.
I don’t mean their athletic achievement (although these guys have been inspiring). I mean the immense Kiddush Hashem of a shomer Shabbos team who represents Jewish values, and how the media has praised them for being devout Jews.
And for that I say Yasher Koach.
With that said, I was a little disappointed that some of the players do not wear yarmulkes. What’s the deal? I was so proud, so I decided to show my kids videos of the team on Youtube. We noticed at least 3 players not wearing yarmulkes. OMG. I was uncomfortable.
Here I was trying to show my kids a Kiddush Hashem, and it turned out to be a major let down.
Shouldn’t Yeshiva University’s team wear yarmulkes while they play? If Ben Shapiro can wear one on CNN, can’t they?
I don’t mean to criticize the players. These are good kids, I’m sure they mean well. I don’t even know if they are frum.
However, this is about the institution who brands themselves as Torah U’Madda. They are a Yeshiva. One of the most basic parts of being an orthodox school is dressing like a Yid.
Would it not behoove the team to require its players put on Jewish garb? Imagine a Catholic or Muslim school? Is there any question they would respect and wear the traditional religious clothing?
And maybe this is a deeper question. Are there non-frum students in YU? Can they call themselves a yeshiva, yet have students who don’t adhere to the religion? Even if they are not observant, can they attend class without a yarmulke? I certainly hope not.
It seems to me a no-brainer, if you attend “Yeshiva” University, you need to have basic respect for the religion, especially in public. Otherwise maybe they should change their name to something that better reflects their true values? (Or lack thereof).
-A devoted (but somewhat disappointed) fan
PLEASE NOTE: VIN News has reached out to Yeshiva University and the Maccabees for comment. At time of publication, we have not received a response.
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I think the author should be more upset about YU’s LGBT club.
fyi, there are a bunch of students who don’t wear yarmulkes ever, and there a bunch of openly gay students. Sorry to burst your ignorant bubble.
Yeshiva University is not exclusively for frum or even Jewish students. The RIETS program is a yeshiva program within the University which caters to students who want a rigorous Yeshiva learning program while at YU.
Shouldn’t we be דן לכף זכות? When explaining to your son, I’m sure you can explain to him that I’m sure he’s noticed that when playing sports, many boys often take them off and run with them in their hand to avoid it falling off. Is that acceptable? As others have mentioned, while in truth all the players ‘should’ play with a yarmulke on representing YU (and be smart enough to know the limelight is much brighter on them nowadays), they are probably just uncomfortable with the clips or have found that it just falls off with them due to the rough nature of D3 ball. I’d encourage you to please focus on the fact that the Macs MVP Ryan Turell, has made many media appearances and always mentions the fact that he’s proud to sport a yarmulke, and even struggled in the past with the decision to wear one as he has played on different teams, but his yiras shamayim has won out each time. Go Macs!
There certainly are not frum students in YU. They do not claim otherwise. In some of their dorms everyone keeps Shabbos in some not everyone does personally but the rules of staying in the dorm require Shemiras Shabbos in the dorm. If someone is a semicha student then they are in Yeshiva.
I always played with a headband and my yarmulka NEVER just fell off. It was knocked off but I would put it back on right away.
Rabbi Yaakov Kaminetsky ruled while playing basketball etc. one may take off his tzitzis as getting them sweated up is a bizoin hamitvah but not covering one head is a complete lack of yiras shomiem. Btw have you ever heard of chazals statement minhag Yisroel Torah?
I kind of thought they were wearing it bobby pinned to the back of their heads. Did you see the backs? I don’t watch videos so obviously don’t know for sure. I did hope though.
This is like a third rail for YU.
Are we a yeshiva? Are we a university?
I’m glad everyone lives in such perfect kehillos that have nothing left to worry about bit yenem’s (possible) avaires.
Kshot atzmoch.
Omg do you know anything about yu
did you ever try playng rough basketball with a yamukah, they are always falling off. RABBI DR. BERNHARD ROSENBERG PLEASE BE REALISTIC.
That’s the least of the problems… what about not having accused rapists??
No yarmulkes for swimmers either. Where does it say in the Torah to wear a yarmulke?
ויצא יעקב and Yaacov went out. So I ask you, would Yaacov go out without a yarmelke?
Surprised no one has brought up bitul torah. They spend a lot of time practicing and playing.
A yarmulke does not lend itself well on the basketball court. For those of you that have played basketball, you know that the yarmulke is the first thing that ends up on the floor even if you bobby pin it two or three times.
I think we are being a bit over the top to expect these boys to keep their yarmulkes on during the game. And Yarmulke isn’t a real chiyuv when you are not eating or davening.
“Imagine a Catholic or Muslim school? Is there any question they would respect and wear the traditional religious clothing?”
IF only we had Catholic Colleges with basketball teams so we could find out…
Should they wear them in the swim team as well? Yarmulke can be dangerous if comes off in court or someone’s hair does not allow it to be pinned in properly. Agreed that onthe bench and at all beaks in the game they should have yarmulkes as representating YU. From what I understand they all wear them at home games but not everyone at away games. True though that YU while having a very shy arm teshivah and Talmudic chachamim as roshei yeshiva there are many many students who are not religious per se. there is a large dichotomy between the smicha and yeshiva program and the secular university.
No baseball caps?
YU is Orthodox in name only.
First of all, the school likely receives some sort of state and/or federal funding, which means it can’t discriminate in any way. Second, it’s very hard for some people to play competitive basketball with a yarmulke. Third, there is no Torah requirement to wear a yarmulke ever. It’s a custom that has become the norm. Would it be nice to see all the players wearing it? Of course. But not everyone lives in your bubble. So find something else to worry about .
These players, by definition, regularly engage in goyisher activity, in public, for the purpose of entertaining goyim. So, whether they wear yarmulkes while doing it, doesn’t make much of a difference.