NEW YORK – Yeshiva University (YU) has officially shut down its LGBTQ club, Hareni, following numerous violations of club guidelines and a recent settlement agreement. The decision was announced in a letter sent to the student body on Friday, signed by UTS and RIETS Dean Rabbi Yosef Kalinsky. A YU spokesperson confirmed the closure in an exclusive statement to The Commentator, citing “blatant violations of club guidelines and the recent Settlement Agreement.”
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The closure came less than a day after Hareni’s legal team sent a letter to Andrew Lauer, YU’s general counsel, expressing concerns that YU was violating the terms of the settlement made in March. Hareni requested a meeting between the parties, but YU’s counsel responded with a list of alleged violations by the club.
The university’s decision follows accusations from YU’s roshei yeshiva that Hareni was acting as a “pride club under a different name” and was not adhering to agreed-upon terms. “There is no place for such a club in yeshiva,” the letter read. YU’s spokesperson further claimed that Hareni members and their representatives had spread misleading statements, confusing religious beliefs and contradicting the goals of the club’s guidelines.
A major point of contention lies in Hareni’s defiance of rabbinic guidance and the university’s explicit instructions. Despite repeated warnings, Hareni leaders reportedly insisted they would not follow the roshei yeshiva’s directions. “Notably, despite the agreement explicitly stating all parties would adhere to the Roshei Yeshiva’s guidance, the club leaders have publicly stated they will not follow their directions,” the spokesperson added.
Hareni’s legal team, however, claimed that YU had violated several terms of the settlement, including a stipulation that club activities would only be educational and not purely social or recreational. The club also alleged that YU imposed stricter rabbinic oversight compared to other student clubs. In response, YU’s lawyers accused Hareni of misrepresenting itself as a rebranded YU Pride Alliance (YUPA), despite the university’s previous legal efforts to avoid recognizing YUPA.
One of the key violations cited by YU involved the club’s April 10 response to a roshei yeshiva announcement that imposed restrictions on the use of pride flags and required a “sexual morality” disclaimer. Hareni members rejected these terms, claiming they were harmful and reductive to the LGBTQ community, prompting further tensions.
Hareni’s Thursday night town hall event, held off-campus, also sparked controversy. The university alleged that Hareni circumvented approval processes and promoted the event as “YU’s official LGBTQ club,” a claim that was not authorized by YU.
It remains unclear whether litigation related to the club’s recognition will resume. The original lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice, though new legal action may be possible based on the alleged violations of the settlement.
The shutdown of Hareni has stirred strong opinions on campus, with a recent survey showing nearly 60% of students either somewhat or strongly disagreeing with YU’s decision to recognize the club in the first place.
A spokesperson for Hareni’s law firm did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
It seems clear to me that whenever concessions or agreements are made with groups of people whose genuine motives differ from the majority opinion, it is only a matter of time before there is a reversion to the original intent and conflict will most certainly arise at some point in time. Human nature does not allow people with strong beliefs or agendas, to easily relinquish their intent. Usually when concessions are agreed upon it is done so as a strategic tool to gain ground, while scheming to build momentum and support. As difficult as it is initially to outright reject a group of citizens whose credo is antithetical to the governing body, it is often the only way to insure that the problem does not metastasize into a much more complex scenario as time goes on. As nice as it sounds to try to be accommodating to some degree to the needs of some of our bretheren that face unimaginable challenges in terms of their unnatural proclivities, it never ends well. Better to be a “roeh es hanolad’ and just shut it down from the get go.
Only 60%!?!?!
Yoshar loach to rav twersky who seems to have been a major force
People struggle with all kinds of things, adding the element of pride is simply bizarre.
Imagine a pride group for people who are attracted to married people, a pride group for people who struggle with eating kosher, a pride group with people who struggle with attraction to children, a pride group for those who want incest with their family members etc
The pride label indicates a desire to normalize this behavior and even, make it heroic. The Torah tells us what we may not DO, because of human sexuality can go may ways. We see this in the broader society, where there is a concerted effort to normalize every single type of sexual deviancy.
Just this parsha tells us that holiness is that WE DO NOT DO what all the nations around us do. Even if its a challenge. And we certainly dont embrace our weakness as strengths, or worse as something to celebrate.
I guess the tension between the Y and U in YU has fully come to ahead. Most likely, the Y will have to separate from the U to maintain its Jewish character….
I don’t understand where this stupid we have to accept everyone nonsense came from. No we don’t. The chumash has loads of people we don’t accept mentioned, and it is never changed and it’s not going to change now just because the society got more corrupt. Maybe these students should go to a non-jewish school and take their crap with them
BH. Reb Yoshe Ber’s was turning in his grave …probably still is on all that’s going on.
60%??
Gee, who could have seen this one coming….
The concept of someone’s identity is. Their bedroom behavior is bizarre
I heard the last straw occurred when, at the gay seder, each participant was invited to ask the four queries.
Do not be hatin’ in YU too much. Wanna see how BMG would react if feigalech tried something like this on their campus. Do not tell me there are no feigalach in Lakewood.
הריני איני
There is more to gay people than gay-sex. People need to deal with the fact that gays are and have always been in our midst. Many never have gay relations ever. But they deserve to be themselves and not live a life of lies pretending to be into shidduchim etc just to make you happy and accept them. They put tefilin on and check their lettuce for bugs like everyone else.