Message from the Rosh HaYeshiva

I hope you are all well. 

This week was the second week of our January zman. On Monday we opened with an exciting Mini Yom Iyun in Tanakh that Rav Nati put together, with special guests, including Rav Menachem Leibtag and Rabbi Hayyim Angel, teaching on a wide range of topics.  Beginning Tuesday we resumed our gemara learning on gerus topics in the morning. On Tuesday, I gave a shiur to the whole yeshiva on mitzvot of inclusion regarding converts. On Wednesday, Rabbi Lerea gave a shiur on the aggadata about Onkelos HaGer, and on Thursday, Rabbi Katz gave a shiur on the conversion of minors.

In the afternoon, we had two special guest teachers. Dr. Aaron Koller, Bible professor at YU and teacher at Drisha, gave a 3-part series on Bar Kokhba: his letters, halakhot, and Hazal's interactions with him and varying attitudes towards him. Dr. Devora Steinmetz, founder of Beit Rabban and a phenomenal teacher of Tanakh and aggadata and Gemara, gave an intensive 4-part series, 2 hours per lecture, on a series of aggadot with an eye towards methodological issues. It was an exciting and stimulating week for all.

And now a special treat. This coming Monday, MLK day, YCT is having an afternoon devoted to Martin Luther King, Jr., with two great lectures:

      

Rabbi Yitz Greenberg will speak from 1:45-3:00 on "On the Relationship of Prophets and Rabbis: A Reflection in Honor of Martin Luther King Day, Jr."

Dr. Steven Bayme will speak from 4:15-5:30 on "The Black-Jewish Experience: Ambivalences and Challenge"

These talks can be watched live here: https://new.livestream.com/yctorah/mlkdayyct, and will be available for viewing afterwards. I hope you will be able to participate, even remotely, in these lectures.